Confidence
by EmD23
Summary: Kiba decides that Hinata needs help with her confidence around Naruto so he drags Shino to see Neji, who says they should talk to….Lee? *Canon-Compliant Friendship fic* COMPLETE
1. The Plan

A/N: Well, here's another idea that's been stuck in my head. Slight OOC.

Characters: Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Neji, Lee, Tenten, Gai, Naruto and anyone else that writes themselves in this story.

**Pairings: None, except for some slight NaruHina**

**Summary: Kiba decides that Hinata needs help with her confidencearound Naruto, so he drags Shino to see Neji, who says they should talk to….Lee?**

Confidence

"T-t-thank you, Naruto-kun."

"No problem, Hinata-chan!" exclaimed Uzumaki Naruto, his cerulean eyes lighting up as he grinned at the blushing girl in front of him. "It's the least I could do after you tipped me off about those guys that were sneaking up behind me!"

"I-it was nothing, really," mumbled Hyuuga Hinata, blushing furiously.

Team 8 had been assigned a mission to wipe out a few bandits that were terrorizing a small town near the Fire Country's border. Since their sensei Kurenai was pregnant, she had been unable to join the mission. Instead, Aburame Shino had been made the team captain and Naruto had joined them along the mission.

The mission itself had been pretty simple, but at one point during the fighting, two of the bandits had tried to sneak up behind Naruto. He hadn't noticed them, being caught up in fighting the leader of the bandits, but Hinata had. Her warning allowed him to dodge their attack and take them out. Naruto had decided to treat Team 8 to Ramen at Ichiraku's for a mission well done.

"Just take the praise, Hinata," grinned Inuzuka Kiba as he began eating his 3rd bowl of steaming ramen. "I mean, when does Naruto offer to treat us like this?"

The rest of the meal passed by quickly, with Naruto and Kiba talked loudly about the mission and the food, all while Hinata listened and Shino said nothing. When they were done, Naruto got up and stretched.

"Well, I'm gonna head home now. See ya guys later," he said as he gave Teuchi the money to pay the bill. He exited the shop and said, "Bye, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata blushed brightly and returned the goodbye quietly. When Naruto was gone, Kiba turned on his seat and grinned at Hinata.

"He totally wants you, Hinata," said the Inuzuka. Hinata's face was scarlet.

"Arf!" cried a massive white dog at Kiba's feet.

"See, even Akamaru thinks so!" said Kiba.

"Naruto-kun likes Sakura-san," Hinata mumbled quietly. "Not me."

"Well then he's an idiot ain't he? Any sane person would choose you over Sakura," Kiba told her.

"You're too kind," Hinata said, her face red once again, although there was a small smile on her face. "It's time for me to return to the manor. See you tomorrow, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun."

She bent down to pet Akamaru. "You too," she said smiling. She left, leaving Kiba and Shino alone sitting at the stand. Kiba frowned once Hinata was gone.

"We've got a problem," he said to Shino. The other teen raised an eyebrow.

"Which is…" Shino said.

"Hinata! She's got like no confidence when it comes to that idiot Naruto!" Kiba exclaimed. "I mean, how dense can that blond be that he can't see Hinata practically melts at the sound of his voice."

"I doubt Hinata is that smitten with Uzumaki," Shino said coolly. At Kiba's disbelieving expression, he reluctantly added, "Although it might be true."

"That's what I thought," Kiba remarked smugly as Akamaru barked.

"What would you do if Naruto got together with Hinata and then hurt her?" Shino asked.

"Kill him," Kiba said simply. "If it was the other way around though, then at least it'd mean Hinata worked up the courage to do it, which would be good…I think."

"Either way, Hinata has had confidence issues since we became genin. She's been improving as the years have gone by," said the bug user.

"Yeah, except when it comes to Naruto," Kiba said. "I wish we could do something."

"If you really want to help, you should talk to other females her age for advice," said Shino.

"Like who?"

"Sakura."

"I think she has a thing for Naruto, so no," Kiba said.

"Then In-"

"Not Ino," Kiba interrupted. "Akamaru and I don't like her."

"ARF!"

"Tenten," Shino said.

"She's a year older," Kiba said. Seeing Shino's raised eyebrow, he hastily added "and she might tell Neji."

Shino gave him a questioning (or was it? He could never tell with those shades and that hood..) glance.

"I don't like Neji," Kiba said. It was true. He had hated the guy for what he had done to Hinata, but he felt respect for him after what they went through together during the Sasuke Retrieval mission. He also knew that he had changed and that he got along with Hinata now. However, Kiba still didn't quite like him.

"Well," Shino said, "Neji lives with Hinata and spends a lot of time with her training."

"So do we," Kiba interjected. Shino ignored him.

"Maybe you should go to him for assistance," said the bug user.

"No," Kiba dead-panned. Shino glared at him through his shades.

"If you refuse help from Sakura, Ino, and Tenten, then Neji is the next logical choice," Shino stated.

"What about Kurenai-sensei?"

"No," Shino said.

"Tenten, then" Kiba said.

"Go to Neji."

"Tenten."

"Neji," Shino said. Kiba glared at him before sighing, defeated.

"Neji it is."

* * *

The Hyuuga Manor was probably one of the largest buildings in all of Konoha. No matter how many times he, Akamaru and Shino went there to pick up Hinata, Kiba still felt slightly intimidated. At least until they went inside. The large garden was the perfect place for him and Akamaru to roll around and play. Kiba looked at Shino, who was standing next to him, silent as usual. He had forced the bug user to accompany him, and Shino had only come because they were doing this for Hinata's benefit.

When the group of 3 arrived at the entrance, the current guard looked them up and down. "I was not aware that Team 8 had training today," he said.

"We don't," Kiba replied.

"Then you wish to spend time with Hinata-sama?"

"Not exactly," Kiba said. "You see-"

"We seek Neji," Shino said abruptly.

"Neji-san?" asked the guard, surprised.

"Yeah," Kiba said.

"Arf!"

"Very well then," the guard said as he moved aside. "Neji is currently training with his teammate in the training field located to the west."

"Thanks a lot," said Kiba, and he followed Akamaru inside, Shino bringing up the rear.

The training field was easy to locate, mostly due to the sounds coming from it. Kiba whistled as a rather large explosion shook the ground. "Neji's sure going at it," he told Shino. The other teen nodded slightly.

When they arrived at the training field, they noticed a multitude of weapons, which meant that the teammate Neji was training with was…

"Hey guys," said a bright voice. Kiba and Shino looked at Tenten as she smiled. She was covered in dirt and she was sweaty, but it did not take away from her beauty. At least that's what Kiba thought. He returned her smile with a grin of his own and beside him, Shino inclined his head his in acknowledgement.

"What're you doing here?" Tenten asked.

"We're looking for Neji," Kiba told her. Tenten looked slightly confused as she responded, "he'll be right back. He went to get some water."

Kiba nodded and Akamaru chose that time to run over and lick Tenten's face, who laughed and began petting him. Soon after, Kiba noticed Hyuuga Neji coming towards them. The older boy had a look of mild curiosity as he spotted his 3 guests. Tenten waved at him.

"They're looking for you," she said. His curiosity having been increased, Neji hurried to the field. When he arrived, Tenten took one of the water bottles he had and began resealing her weapons into her scrolls. Neji turned to the members of Team 8.

'Why are you here?" he asked. Kiba felt a twinge of annoyance at the way the question was proposed but ignored it.

"We need advice," the Inuzuka responded. Seeing Neji's confused expression and Tenten stop sealing her weapons, he added, "about Hinata."

Tenten's eyes widened. "So you _do _like her? God, now I have to pay Ino," she said. It was Kiba's turn to be surprised.

"Wait, what?"

"Ino thinks you have a crush on her and she bet against me," Tenten said bitterly.

"If I liked Hinata, why would I come to _Neji_ for advice, and why would I say _we_ need it?" Kiba asked.

"So you don't like her?"

"No."

"Oh, ok," Tenten said, relieved. They both noticed that Neji hadn't said a word, and noticed that he was conversing with Shino. After a few moments, Neji nodded and said, "I see."

"So," Neji said to Kiba, "you want to help Hinata-sama with her confidence?"

"Yeah," Kiba nodded. "Shino said you'd be the best choice since you spend so much time with her nowadays."

"Perhaps," said Neji. "However, I'm not the best person to ask. I've never excelled at teaching others, and Hinata-sama needs someone to teach her how to be confident." He seemed to ponder something for a few moments before nodding to himself. "Have you tried Lee?"

"Lee?" Tenten said, voicing Kiba's thoughts.

"Yes, Lee," Neji sighed.

"But Lee doesn't know _anything _about Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Lee is a very confident individual, perhaps too much so. Either way, he could really help Hinata-sama build up her confidence," Neji said.

Kiba turned to Shino. "What do you think?"

Shino seemed to hesitate before answering, "It's plausible."

"But the guy's a weirdo!" Kiba protested. Tenten and Neji both glared at him. "I mean," he continued, gulping, "he's an amazing ninja and I respect him, but he's weird. He might influence Hinata."

"So you have a problem with Lee?" Tenten asked.

"No, but, he's weird, you both know that," Kiba said cautiously.

"Maybe, but you run around talking to dogs, helping them master how to pee in midair, and your best friend has bugs living inside of him, no offense," Tenten said, looking at Shino.

"None taken," said the bug user.

"Anyway, you have no right to call _anyone _weird," Tenten finished.

Kiba sweatdropped. "Ok, sorry," he apologized. Seeing Tenten nod, he continued. "So, where can we find Lee?"

"The training grounds, where else?" Tenten answered. Neji snorted from beside her at such an obvious question. Kiba rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"Gotcha. Let's go Akamaru," he said, and began walking away. Shino nodded his head at Neji and Tenten before following his teammate. When they were out of sight, Tenten rounded on Neji.

"Lee?" she asked, disbelief in her face. "Do you know in how many ways this could go wrong?"

"…"

"Idiot," Tenten said. She finished sealing her scrolls as Neji continued to drink his water, his face calm.

* * *

The trip to the training grounds was quiet and uneventful for two reasons. One, Kiba was thinking about how this plan could go wrong and how he'd kill Lee if Hinata started running around in green spandex. Two, Shino was thinking about the beating Kiba would take if he attacked Lee because Hinata started wearing green spandex. Either way, the teammates made no sound until they approached the training grounds and heard a very familiar voice.

"One thousand!" The shout was followed by the sound of wood smashing and a whoop of happiness. "I did it, Gai-sensei!"

"You did!" answered a booming voice. "And it took you 500 less kicks! Great job, Lee!"

"Thank you Gai-sensei. Your praise means so much," said the voice, sounding slightly choked up.

"Oh Lee, you know I work only so you can become the best ninja," responded the second voice, also choked up.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"Where the hell did this cliff come from?" Kiba yelped as he realized the ground he, Akamaru and Shino had been standing on had morphed into a cliff overlooking a stunning sunset in the ocean.

"Genjutsu perhaps," Shino said as he brought his hands together. "Kai!"

"…not a genjutsu, eh," Kiba said.

"NOW LEE, STARE INTO THE SUN AND GRASP IT! LET YOUR FLAMES BURN ALL OPPOSITION AND LET YOUR YOUTH SHINE!"

"YOSH!"

Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru stepped into the training field and were met with the sight of two ridiculously dressed shinobi. They wore green spandex with orange legwarmers. Each also had a vest, although one wore a Jounin vest which was unzipped and one wore a Chuunin vest which was closed.

"Ah, it seems we have company!" said Maito Gai, looking at the new arrivals.

"Hello, Kiba-san, Shino-san, Akamaru-san," Lee said brightly.

"Arf!"

The two shinobi returned the greeting and bowed respectfully to the elder ninja.

"Have you come to join us for training?" Lee asked.

"No," Kiba said quickly, appalled at the very thought.

"Gai-sensei, may we borrow Lee for a few moments?" Shino asked respectfully.

"Of course! We are finished anyway," Gai replied. Looking at Lee, he said, "I expect you to continue practicing today and I'll see you tomorrow at 5 A.M. sharp for our morning run!"

"Yosh!" replied Lee. With a blinding smile, Gai disappeared.

"Can I help you with something?" Lee asked the members of Team 8, as he picked up a towel and began wiping his face with it.

"Yeah, we need a favor," Kiba said. Seeing Lee's curious expression, he elaborated. "You know Hinata right?"

"Has something happened to Hinata-san?" Lee asked.

"No," Shino replied. "However, we were hoping you could help her."

"With what?"

"Confidence," Kiba said. "You see, Hinata really likes that idiot Naruto, but he doesn't even notice! He like leads her on without trying to, and she's too afraid and shy to speak up. Neji said you could help her build her confidence."

Lee stayed quiet for along time and Kiba, getting impatient, asked "Will you help?"

"Of course! I know how Hinata-san feels, for I love Sakura-san yet my love in unrequited! However, youth shall prevail and both Hinata-san and I will obtain the people we long for! I'm simply thinking of the best way to go about this," Lee said.

"Right…"

"Yosh!" Lee shouted. "Tell Hinata-san to meet me her tomorrow and 9 A.M. sharp! Until then, farewell!" Lee whirled around took off, smashing a boulder along the way with a single kick.

Watching the enthusiastic boy leave, Kiba turned to Shino. "We made the right decision…right?"

"…"

"Right?"

"ARF!"

* * *

A/N: And that's that. This is just a fun side-project for when I'm bored, so don't expect quick updates. This was originally a one-shot, but I would have never gotten around to it if it stayed that way.

For those of you who read my crappy Digimon stories or have read my profile, you know why I'm not updating those.

I was originally going to put this under Friendship/Humor, but I'm not very funny _

So it'll just stay under Genral/friendship.

Review please. Constructive criticism and flames are welcome.


	2. What You Want

A/N: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Team Gai would already be in Konoha!

Lesson 1: What You Want

The first thing Kiba noticed when he woke up the next morning was not that he hadn't been called up in the middle of the night for a mission, nor the fact that his mother had fixed his room last night. He didn't even notice that Akamaru was currently chewing on Kiba's old jacket from his Genin days. The first thing he noticed was that his clock said 10:55 A.M.

"Shit!"

Kiba scrambled up from his bed and stumbled, falling face-first on the floor. "Ouch…" He got up and headed for the shower. He proceeded to take the fastest shower he'd ever taken and changed at top speed. He ran downstairs, where his mother was cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

"Hey Kiba, I made your favorite. Pan-"

"Sorry, I gotta go!" Kiba said.

"Where?" asked Inuzuka Tsume as she turned around, "because I actually cooked breakfast for once."

"I'm late for a meeting!" Kiba said as he ran towards the door.

"Hinata's thing?" replied Tsume.

"How'd you know?" Kiba asked as he stopped with his hand on the door.

"Hana heard it from Shino," Tsume said as she sat down on the kitchen table.

"Shino talks to Hana?"

"He's your best friend and she's your sister. Is it that surprising that they talk from time to time?"

"It's SHINO," Kiba said.

"True."

"Anyway, I'm sure Shino won't let things get out of hands. Now sit down and eat your breakfast, brat," Tsume said.

"Okay," Kiba said. He plopped down on a chair as Akamaru sprawled himself on the floor.

"So," Tsume began, "how did Hinata react when you guys told her the plan?"

"Well," Kiba began, stuffing his face with pancakes.

_Flashback_

_"Wh-what?"_

_"You have to meet Lee at the training grounds at 9 A.M. tomorrow," Kiba told Hinata for the second time._

_"Lee-san?"_

_"Yes, Lee," Kiba said. "You know, the goofy kid? Looks like a weirdo and has an obsession with Haruno?"_

_"Hai," Hinata said, looking confused._

_"Well, meet him at the training grounds tomorrow at 9 ok? Bye," Kiba said, taking off before Hinata could say another word._

_End Flashback_

"So you didn't even give the poor girl time to process it," Tsume noted. Kiba grinned.

"Well, brush your teeth and you can leave," said Tsume.

"Right," Kiba said, and headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later, he was on his way to the training grounds. He had decided to leave Akamaru behind because the dog seemed content sleeping on its back, which is how Kiba had found him when he returned to the kitchen.

As he walked, Kiba thought of all the things Lee could possibly make Hinata do. in order to gain some confidence. To his dislike, none of them seemed good. With this mindset, Kiba picked up the pace. As he got near the training grounds, he heard a cry of pain.

_'HINATA!'_

Kiba bolted forward and ran until he had a view of the place where Hinata supposedly was. When he finally had a view of the grounds, he froze. Hinata was laying face down on the dirt. Shino was watching her. Kiba ran forward to help Hinata up when he was stopped by Shino, who had extended an arm.

"Don't."

"What the hell do you mean, don't? Hinata's on the damn ground and you're just standing here like a retard!" Kiba would have gone on, but Shino spoke.

"Shut up."

Kiba blinked, stunned. "What?"

"This is part of the regimen," Shino said.

"Yeah but-"

"It'll do Hinata good."

"Do her good? How is getting beat up going to-"

"I think that is enough Hinata-san," spoke Lee, who had stepped into view as he approached Hinata. Kiba watched the girl as she struggled to get up.

"N-No," she stammered, struggling to her feet.

"Hinata-san, I must insist that we end this."

"No, Lee-san," Hinata said as she finally managed to stand up straight. "I will not quit. That is Naruto-kun's nindo, and mine as well." She activated her Byakugan and got into the Gentle Fist stand. Kiba looked at her eyes and his own widened in surprise.

Her eyes had changed. What were once timid eyes that looked at the world in fear were now smoldering rocks of courage and determination. Kiba stared and he remembered a conversation he had once had with Shino.

_Flashback_

_"That bastard," Kiba growled as he stared at the prone form of Hinata on her hospital bed. "That fucking Hyuuga kid, I'm going to kill him," he said. To see Hinata like this, to hear that she almost died...It filled him with a rage that made his insides boil. Akamaru whined from atop Kiba's head as he felt his Master's anger grow._

_"…" Shino looked at the dog boy silently._

_"Hyuuga Neji, how I hope I could tear him to pieces for what he did to Hinata," Kiba said as he stared as his teammate._

_"I believe Uzumaki vowed to win for Hinata's sake, and he's not one to soften his blows, as you know," Shino told him._

_Kiba grimaced. How the hell had the dobe beaten him? His incredible luck to fart just as Kiba went to finish it…_

_"Who cares what that idiot does? If he cared so much, he would have stopped the fight! Neji's a heartless asshole and a genius. I can already imagine the way Hinata was trembling as he landed blow after blow," Kiba said. "She was probably terrified the whole fight," he finished._

_"You're wrong."_

_"Huh?"_

_Shino sat down on a chair next to Hinata's bed. "She changed. The Hinata that fought Neji is not the same Hinataq you and I have grown used to seeing."_

_"What do you mean?" asked Kiba as he sat down on a chair next to a small table by the entrance._

_"…" Shino stayed quiet, causing Kiba to look around the room as he waited for the Aburame's response. The hospital walls were too plain. The white walls made the Inuzuka feel trapped. Kiba had never liked hospitals. Whenever he was in one it was because he had let a member of his pack get hurt. Inuzukas were supposed to protect their packs, but Kiba had not protected Hinata…_

_"She stood straight and proud."_

_Shino's voice jarred Kiba from his thoughts._

_"She showed courage that she has never shown before. She was not afraid of Neji. And it was thanks to Uzumaki."_

_For some reason, that annoyed Kiba greatly._

_"She fought like she's never fought before," Shino continued. "She wanted to prove herself to Uzumaki. She wanted everyone to see that she wasn't a weak little girl anymore…"_

_"…"_

_"It's hard to explain," Shino said as he got up and made his way to the door. When he reached for the handle, he spoke without looking at Kiba. "I hope that someday you too can see the real Hinata." _

_And he was gone, leaving Kiba and Akamaru with the unconscious Hyuuga heiress._

_End Flashback_

As Kiba stared at the Hyuuga, he felt he had only seen the tip of the real Hinata, and he yearned to see what she was truly capable of.

_'Hinata, you…'_

"Please Lee-san, let's continue," Hinata said.

Lee smiled at her. "I would love to Hinata-san, but we still have other things to do in regard to your confidence. However, we shall have another spar tomorrow morning! It's a promise!"

He gave her another smile that made his teeth glisten, and all of Team 8 (even Shino) had a sudden urge to go buy toothpaste.

"Hai," Hinata said.

"YOSH!" Lee jumped and landed on top of a wooden log as Kiba and Shino went to stand next to Hinata. "NOW, TO CONTINUE OUR TRAINING TO IMPROVE HINATA-SAN'S CONFIDENCE, WE SHALL…_**SCREAM**_!"

A squirrel fell out of a tree as Team 8 looked at Lee. "…what?" Kiba said. Lee smiled sheepishly.

"I shall demonstrate!"

He took a deep breath.

"I WANT TO BECOME A SPLENDID NINJA, EVEN IF I CANNOT USE NINJUTSU OR GENJUTSU! I WANT TO PROVE THAT HARD WORK CAN SURPASS GENIUS! I WANT TO BATTLE WITH GAARA-KUN, NEJI, NARUTO-KUN, EVEN THE TRAITOR UCHIHA SASUKE! I_**VOW**_ THAT ONE DAY, I WILL DEFEAT THEM ALL!"

Lee jumped down from the log as Kiba and Hinata stared open-mouthed.

"Your turn," he said to Hinata.

"W-what?"

"You shall stand there and yell out all your wishes and dreams proudly so that all of Konoha can hear you!" Lee said, giving her a thumbs up and a smile. *Ping*

Kiba blinked to get the light out of his eyes as Hinata grew mortified. "I could never…"

"Why not?"

"W-well," Hinata stammered.

"Come on, the training fields are empty at this hour and I promise no one will hear you! It is just us," Lee said while pointing at Team 8 and himself.

"H-hai," Hinata said as she climbed up and stood on the log.

"You will, of course, do it in front of people later, although with less screaming," Lee told her. Her face froze in horror.

"What's the point of this?" Kiba hissed at Lee as Hinata stood there watching the 3 boys.

"I want to see what parts of her character I have to work on," replied the Leaf's Handsome Devil. Before Kiba could say anything else, Hinata began speaking.

"I-I want to improve my Taijutsu, because I feel it's been lacking…"

Lee gave her a thumbs up and mouthed 'louder.'

"I want to catch up to Neji-san in terms of the Gentle Fist style," she said louder. "I want to be acknowledged by the rest of the Hyuuga clan, who still think I'm garbage despite the fact that my father has accepted me! I want the animosity between the Main and Branch Houses to end!" Her voice continued to get louder. "I want people to stop viewing me as a failure! I want to prove myself to everyone who has doubted me!" She seemed to have forgotten she had an audience.

"I want people to stop thinking of me as the weak, pathetic, pampered Hyuuga heiress!"

_'Hinata…'_

"I…I want Naruto-kun to notice me! I want everyone to notice me! I work so hard to be acknowledged as more than just the Hyuuga princess or the 'failure' as many people still think of me, and I want them to stop!"

_'She's repeating herself,'_ noted Shino.

"I want people to **see** me, really **see **me!"

"Naruto-kun most of all?" asked Lee.

"Yes! I want Naruto to realize how I feel about him! I want to build up the courage to tell him the truth! I WANT NARUTO-KUN TO-"

"To what?"

Everyone froze. Kiba turned around and saw Naruto and Haruno Sakura standing there. Naruto looked confused and Sakura had a strange expression on her face. '_Well shit," _he thought.

"Naruto-kun! Sakura-san!" Lee greeted them, trying to get the attention away from Hinata, whose face was now reddening at an alarming rate.

"Hey Gejimayu," Naruto said. His eyes looked past the older Shinobi and focused on Hinata. "Want me to what, Hinata-chan?"

"Oi, I think she's fainting!" Kiba said as Hinata swayed.

"Na-na-na…" she said before falling off the log.

"HINATA!"

"HINATA-CHAN!"

Kiba, Shino, and Naruto went to catch the falling girl, but Lee, being the fastest, already had her in his arms. He set her down on the ground gently.

"Is she okay?"

"This happens a lot when she gets embarrassed," Kiba told him.

"I see..." Lee said.

"What were you guys doing?" Sakura asked.

"An exercise," Lee replied.

"Well, it seems to have failed," she said looking at the unconcious girl on the ground.

" Maybe...BUT THE WAY SHE WAS SPEAKING! SO FULL OF PASSION! **OOOOH**, I MUST TELL GAI-SENSEI!"

Kiba sweatdropped.

* * *

A/N: I'm very unhappy with this chapter. I had it in my head but couldn't type it. It came out clunky and awkward, and the ending is crap because I couldn't stand it anymore. I can't even bring myself to proof-read it.

Maybe next chapter will be better…

Well, R/R please!


	3. Mission

A/N: I'm getting an Itch for Fire Emblem and other Naruto one-shots, but I gotta work through this first.

Mission

"Again!" Lee cheered enthusiastically.

"Go Hinata!" Kiba yelled from the sidelines.

"ARF!" Akamaru was ever-present.

"…" Good ol' Shino.

Hinata took in some air and closed her eyes. Her Byakugan was not activated, and she found the darkness slightly unnerving. Regardless, she allowed herself to relax and listen to nature. She heard the birds chirping, heard the soft rustling of the trees as the wind blew gently, and her the whizzing sound of something coming towards her. She dodged it and heard the sound of a kunai being embedded into the ground.

"Not bad," Tenten said from somewhere in front of her.

And then Hinata was struggling to dodge the kunai the older girl was throwing at her with expert ease. They were coming one after the other with little time to breathe, just like in the battlefield.

"Here it comes!" Tenten yelled.

Hinata opened her eyes and activated her Byakugan as Tenten jumped into the air, revealing two scrolls. "Rising Twins Dragons!" The barrage of weapons that came after would overwhelm most ninja. Hinata herself felt some fear at seeing the mass amount of weapons that came flying towards her. Absentmindedly, she wondered how Tenten managed to make the smoke released when she summoned her weapons maintain the shape of a dragon. However, she had more important things to worry about. As the rain of steel came towards her, she began to expel chakra from her body while rotating.

"Kaiten!"

She pulled the move off perfectly, deflecting Tenten's entire barrage. Tired but satisfied, Hinata stopped her rotation and deactivated her Byakugan.

"Who says I'm done?"

Hinata's eyes widened as she began to furiously dodge the weapons that were being controlled by Tenten's strings. She had forgotten about that aspect of Tenten's attack. She tried to dodge everything, but an axe caught her in the side.

"That's enough," said a cool voice. Neji, who had been observing from the sidelines, approached Hinata, "You finally mastered Kaiten, Congratulations." Hinata felt herself turn slightly red at the compliment. "However, you obviously lack other skills. You should have been able to dodge that." Ignoring Tenten's indignant "Hey!" Neji watched Hinata's face fall.

"Hey jackass-" began Kiba, but Lee put up a hand to silence him.

Neji smiled warmly at Hinata. "I'll help you train. How about on Wednesdays? I'm usually off-duty then."

Hinata' face lit up. "H-hai. Thank you, Neji nii-san."

"**YOOOOOOOOOSH!" **Lee roared. "Such beautiful display of affection and comradeship between two cousins! If Gai-sensei were here to witness this, he'd cry in joy at how brightly Neji's flames burned just now." His own face was covered in tears.

"Lee," Neji sighed, "shut up."

Lee grinned sheepishly. "Well then Hinata-san, I really can't think of what else to do right now, so why don't we all get something to eat?"

Before anyone could answer, an Anbu operative appeared before them in a swirl of leaves. Uzuki Yugao, known to everyone else as Cat, inclined her head towards Neji, the only Jounin present. "Hyuuga-san."

"Cat-san," Neji greeted. Yugao turned towards Lee and Kiba. "Inuzuka Kiba and Rock Lee, Hokage-sama has requested your presence immediately."

"The Hokage wants to see us?" Kiba asked after Yugao had left.

"A mission perhaps," Lee pondered. "Well, Hinata-san, it looks like our confidence training will have to be postponed." The two Chuunin bid their goodbyes and headed off to Hokage Tower. When they arrived, they found not only Tsunade and Shizune, but also Yamanaka Ino and Sai.

"Good, you're here," Tsunade said. Lee and Kiba stood in attendance as Tsunade looked at the four ninja. "Rock Lee, Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, and Sai. I have a B-rank mission for you."

Kiba immediately grew excited, as did Lee. Ino seemed happy as well, and Sai showed no emotion.

"You must escort a small group of merchants to Iwa. These merchants have in their position a rare artifact, and we have information a missing-nin are after them. The missing-nin goes by the name of Inugami Setsuna."

Kiba frowned at that. _Inugami?_ That was odd.

"She's a B-class missing-nin according to the bingo book, so the mission requires some caution." Tsunade paused, and scanned the four.

'_I brought Kiba because he's part of the Inuzuka clan, so he should know about the Inugami clan. Sai's good at tracking and Ino's skill will come in handy when we try to find out if or who hired Setsuna. And Lee's brute force is always welcome.'_ It wasn't the best team, but Tsunade had confidence in them.

"The squad leader…" Tsunade had put some thought into this She didn't trust Sai fully as he was still involved with The Foundation, or ROOT as she liked to call it, although she knew he was friends with Naruto and Sakura. But she didn't feel comfortable giving Danzou's dog power. Ino was still shaky over Asuma's death so she didn't want to put extra pressure on her. Kiba was too rash. Lee wasn't much better, but he could be serious when he wanted to. Besides, he was a Chuunin for a reason. "Rock Lee."

Lee's eyes brightened.

"Each of you will be given a scroll with the full mission details. I expect you all to leave before the sun rises tomorrow, so get packing and get some rest. Izumo and Kotetsu have been informed already. Dismissed."

Shizune handed each of them a scroll and they took their leave.

Tsunade sat back and frowned. Rock Lee as squad captain…

Shizune suddenly dropped a stack of papers on Tsunade's desk.

"Paperwork!" Shizune said cheerily.

"I need a drink…."

* * *

Kiba yawned as he stood at the Konoha gates. The sun wasn't up yet, and it only reminded Kiba of how little sleep he had gotten. The fact that they were enemies with an Inugami bothered him. He heard some rustling and Sai plopped down from a tree.

"Hey," Kiba greeted.

"Kiba-Kun, Akamaru-kun," Sai responded.

There was no more conversation. Kiba knew very little about Sai, so he didn't know what to say. All he knew was that despite his appearance, the pale teen was Anbu level and that he liked to embarrass Naruto in front of Sakura by commenting on his size. Kiba snickered.

"Sai-kun!" Ino had arrived and she immediately wrapped herself around Sai, who seemed oblivious. After breaking away, she looked at Kiba.

"Inuzuka."

"Yamanaka."

That was that. Kiba and Ino didn't get along. She wasn't too fond of dogs, and found Kiba to be annoying. Kiba didn't like her because she had insulted Akamaru once, and he just found her annoying.

No one spoke after that. Akamaru sat quietly at Kiba's feet. Just when the silence was beginning to get to him, Kiba spotted a green blur.

"Finally," Ino said. Lee stopped in front of them.

"I apologize, but I needed to check something." He proceeded to greet each one of them. Ino noticed that his tone was much warmer with Kiba and Akamaru. That was odd, she didn't know they hung out. After his greeting, Lee got serious.

"Alright, the scroll says that before we leave we should get some background knowledge on the Inugami clan from Kiba." Lee gestured at the Inuzuka, who began speaking.

"Inugami, as you guys can guess by the name," began Kiba, "is a clan who specializes in dogs. They are the holders of the Dog Contract. They gained it through defeating the Inuzuka long ago."

Ino smirked at that and was surprised when Akamaru growled at her.

"If I may ask, where do the Inuzuka nin dogs come from if the Inuzuka lost the rights to the summoning contract?" Sai asked. "As long as it does not breach your clan's code of secrecy of course."

"It's fine," Kiba responded. "Well, when the Inuzuka lost, a few summoning dogs decided to simply stay with us. Dogs are very loyal, you know."

They nodded.

"Well we bred them with normal dogs and each other to get our nin-dogs. The stronger the blood is in them, the more characteristics they show from the old days. My mother's dog Kuromaru can talk, for example. Akamaru here might be able to talk one day too," Kiba said, rubbing his partner's head.

"Arf!"

"Anyway, the Inugami share many similar traits. They have our canine characteristics, but they lack a partner. They fight with summons. Good nose, ears, the usual really. Think of a female version of me." Ino snickered at that. "But of course, each clan has their own secrets and jutsu, so we have to be cautious." Kiba frowned after he finished.

"What is wrong, Kiba-kun?" Lee asked.

"A missing-nin Inugami is unheard of," Kiba said. "As you know, dogs are very loyal. The dog clans are no different. Tell me, have you ever heard of a missing-nin Inuzuka?"

Ino and Lee both shook their heads.

Sai pulled out a bingo book from his pack. "There are no Inuzuka in my assassination book. Or Hyuuga for that matter."

"Well, if a Hyuuga defects, it'd most likely be a Branch member, and the cage seal would take care of the problem. And the Main Branch have it too good to defect," Ino reasoned.

"And Inuzuka are just too loyal. Same with Inugami. The fact that there's a missing-nin from the dog clan makes me uneasy…" Kiba finished.

"Well," Lee said brightly. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He signaled for his team to get closer. "Equipment check?"

They all confirmed they were equipped.

"Alright, we are meeting our clients on the town of Nawasaki. Since the town is under Konoha's protection, our clients are safe there. It should take us one day to get there. Usually, after that it would take two days to reach Iwa. But with our clients, it'll take at least 5."

The team nodded, and Lee continued.

"Alright. I please ask that none of you die on me. To be honest, this is my first mission as leader."

Ino immediately felt nervous.

"But do not worry. I will not allow any of you to lose your lives. That's a promise!"

PING!

Kiba grinned.

* * *

Hinata walked along Konoha's busy center as she pondered the past 2 weeks. Lee's training had consisted of sparring every morning, bathing at a natural hot spring, and then his next plan. The hot springs had been mortifying at first. When Lee had first suggested they bathe together, she had nearly fainted. And of course, Lee had to deal with an angry Kiba and an even angrier Shino. After dodging all of their attacks, he had said that he meant no harm, although no one believed him. He hadn't asked the next day, in which Kiba and Shino were both absent due to missions. He had simply asked if she wanted to bathe first. When she declined, he relaxed in the hot springs. It was at this point that Hinata, her eyes covered, had asked Lee why he had suggested such a thing. Lee had simply said it'd save time.

"Like a joined bath house, Hinata-san," he had said.

When Hinata said she'd never been to one, Lee had gasped in horror and immediately apologized for his suggestion. He had berated himself, ranting about thoughtlessness and then assured Hinata that he was, by no means, a pervert.

"I've been to a few with Neji and Tenten," he explained.

Lee had admitted that the first time had been incredibly awkward.

"Tenten has this 'if I catch you looking, I'll skewer you' policy, which unlike Neji, I have never broken, although I admit it's highly difficult to control oneself. Tenten herself is quite the looker," Lee said with blunt honesty. "Plus," his eyes burned, "I would never betray my Sakura Blossom by setting my eyes on another woman!"

"It's different seeing Tenten naked when I'm tending a wound on the battlefield and in a bath house," he continued.

That part was true. Hinata had seen Kiba nude before in the battlefield when he had been poisoned by being slashed in the upper thigh. She had to remove both his pants and boxers in order to treat him. At the time she had been too focused trying to save him to care. Modesty between teams was rare in those situations.

The next day, in which both Kiba and Shino were still out, Hinata's time with Lee had been cut short by a request form her father. Wanting to have as much time as possible, she had joined him at the hot spring, much to his surprise. He had taken Tenten's policy to heart.

It was still terribly awkward.

They had continued bathing together afterwards and it had become less awkward with time. Shino had seemed to accept it, but Kiba was still edgy. Of course, it had only been one day in which they were present. They couldn't join her all the time.

As for the actual confidence training, Lee had been working with her as well. He had her greet random people on the street, something she was terrified of because of her shyness. He also made sure that she looked at people in the eye when she talked to them, and to keep her voice steady. Her trembling had toned down somewhat. And he had also tried to stop her from pushing her fingers together when she was nervous, although that was difficult. It was basically everything that Hinata knew she needed to do, but it was much easier with Lee pushing her along. Everyday, Lee and Hinata had talked about life, missions, goals and dreams. To be honest. Hinata didn't feel like she was going through any training. It really just felt like she was hanging out with Lee.

She smiled. The last two weeks had been fun. She had never been the outgoing type, but the combined efforts of Lee and Kiba had begun to get her to be more outgoing. She would have completely forgotten that they were supposed to be working on her confidence until this morning.

When she had walked out of the courtyard, the guard had stopped her and told her she had a message. She had opened it:

_Hinata-san,_

_I feel we've been making small but solid progress. However, we need to kick it up a notch if we want your Youthful Flames to burn even brighter. When I return from my mission, you shall ask out Naruto._

_Lee _

_

* * *

  
_

Hinata felt another headache coming on. She was not looking forward to Kiba and Lee's return.

"This should be a good place to make camp for the night," Lee said over his shoulder. The 3 merchants they were escorting agreed and stopped their wagon as Kiba (and Akamaru), Ino, and Sai dropped down from the trees above. They were in a small clearing, but it was big enough to house everyone, tents included.

It took them about 10 minutes to set up all the tents and start a fire. When everything was settled, the 4 ninjas, the nin-dog, and the merchants sat around the fire. Lee's team was lucky enough to get clients who were nice and were willing to share food, which was much better than the rations the ninja had brought. As they waited for the food, light conversation was heard around the campfire. Ino was talking to one of the merchants, a woman named Yune, about something that Kiba really couldn't give damn. Sai was talking to the other merchants, Bole and Yuuto, about some of the paintings they carried.

Kiba, who was sitting next to Lee, took his chance now that everyone was distracted. "What are you planning on doing with Hinata about her confidence?" he asked Lee.

"Well, remember how I was late when I arrived at the gate?" Lee asked. When Kiba nodded, he continued. "I was leaving a message to Hinata-san telling her she must ask out Naruto when we return from this mission."

Kiba's eyes widened. "Holy shit," he muttered.

"Language," Lee said absentmindedly.

"But you guys have done nothing!" Kiba hissed.

"Not true. I've been working on little details," Lee replied easily.

"Like?"

"Posture and her habits. Those probably even make her more self-conscious than she already is. I believe getting rid of her habits will help her."

Kiba scoffed. However, before he could reply, another voice interrupted their conversation.

"Well, now that's some interesting gossip," said Ino, a sly look on her face. "Kiba and Rock Lee playing matchmaker between Naruto and Hinata?" She grinned.

"Actually, it's more of a confidence thing," Kiba said. He did a double-take. "Wait, when the hell did you get in on this conversation?"

"I've got very good ears," Ino said. Kiba stared at her.

"Ino-san, I ask that you keep this to yourself," Lee said.

"I will," Ino said. Kiba blinked. _'She's going to keep her fat mouth shut? Wow, she must have gotten nicer.'_

"On one condition." _'Or not…'_

"And this condition is?" Lee asked, slightly wary. He had heard of Ino's reputation.

"You let me help," she said simply.

"Wait, what?" Kiba said. "Now wait a min-"

"**YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!**" The scream startled everyone present. "Ino-san, the rumors were wrong!" Lee said. "I had heard that you were a mean and egotistical person who cared nothing for anyone except her team. But I can now see that your kindness extends even to Hinata-san! Oh, I can feel the heat of the Flames of Youth within you! We must fan those flames and…"

Yuuto, Bole and Yune stared as Lee ranted on to a stupefied Kiba and Ino. Yuuto then growled. "What are those idiots doing? They're absolutely distracted and being so loud anyone could find us."

"That's the plan," Sai responded. When he received odd stares from the merchants, he elaborated. "To whoever is pursuing us, it would seem we've let our guard down. However, their actions are merely a façade. Everyone is on high alert and I have rigged the area with traps and scouts."

"You're trying to make our pursuer overconfident," Yune realized.

Sai nodded.

* * *

"Kaiten!"

The Heavenly Spin was quickly brought to life as it deflected all of Tenten's weapons. Hinata stopped her motion just as Tenten pulled on her strings. She dodged the first, second, third, and fourth weapon with ease. Then all of the weapons began coming towards her and she struggled to dodge each one of them.

"Not bad!" Tenten said. Then the older Chuunin began twisting the strings, and weapons were coming from all sides and angles. It was too much, and Hinata was overwhelmed. She got tagged by a spike and collapsed to the ground, tired.

"Much better than last time," Neji noted from his position against the wall. He had his eyes closed, but had observed everything with the Byakugan.

"Arigatou," Hinata gasped out as she tried to regain her breath. That had been the fifth straight attempt, and Hinata wanted nothing more than to collapse in her bed and never look at Tenten or Neji again. The two of them had been pushing her non-stop.

"Well," Neji said, "Why don't we call it a day? Besides, Lee should be returning in a few days and Hinata-sama should be fully rested and looking well. After all, she has to look nice for her date with Uzumaki."

As Hinata and Tenten stared at Neji dumbfounded, he tossed a note to Hinata. Hitana's eyes widened as she realized it must have fallen out of her pocket when training. She had been carrying the note around as a sort of motivational charm, but she suddenly wished she had thrown it away after reading it.

As a smirking Neji walked away, Hinata had to endure an endless barrage of questions from a certain weapon mistress.

* * *

"We should arrive by tomorrow," Lee announced as he signaled for them to stop for the night. The trip to the Rock Village was taking more time than anticipated because of bad weather. It was raining, and the merchants were obviously displeased. Lee scanned the area and noticed a cave. Signaling to it, he entered the cave and checked that it was safe before allowing everyone else to settle in.

"We will wait until the rain lets up and then we should make the last stretch without a break," he told the merchants. Yuuto nodded in agreement as did Bole. Yuno didn't seem pleased but did not speak up. The group entered the cave and Ino immediately started a fire.

The cave was spacious. It could accommodate everyone comfortably. As they began settling down, Sai suddenly tensed. That was the only warning they received before the cave was filled with smoke.

'_Smoke bombs!'_

Kiba swore. However, Lee had immediately closed his eyes. He tuned out everything else and tried to pick up any sound. Any at all. Kiba could have had an easier time, but the merchants had grabbed on to him as soon as the smoke started. And then, a shift of a pebble…

'_There!'_

Lee moved with blinding speed and delivered an axe kick to the intruder, who yelped in pain and retreated to the cave entrance. When the smoke cleared, a beautiful girl was revealed. Long brown hair, generous bosom, full hips, and breathtaking eyes, a mix between green and grey. Her skin was flawless, as she wore a revealing outfit, and her face, while holding a vicious snarl, still stole Lee and Kiba's breaths for a second. And then she moved. Lee snapped out of his ogling and met her there, and the two began trading furious blows. Kiba and Akamaru charged forward, attacking from both sides.

"Gatsuuga!"

The woman, sensing their approach, broke away from Lee and leapt backwards, avoiding the drills that aimed at tearing her apart. "Not bad," she mused, and her voice was rich, filled with amusement. She noticed that the two other ninja, the pale boy and young girl, were standing protectively in front of the merchants.

"Are you Inugami Setsuna?" Lee asked.

"..yes," she revealed. She bit her thumb, and pulled out a scroll. "And you, excuse my use of cliché, are dead. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

The other occupants tensed. When the smoke cleared, three black dogs stood there, all looking quite menacing.

'_Sorta reminds me of Hana's Haimaru Sankyodai,' _Kiba thought grimly. The dogs growled, and Akamaru himself seemed to tense even more, barring his fangs.

Setsuna stood there, a smirk on her face. "You there, Inuzuka," she said, looking at Kiba. "You recognize the power of this summon, do you not?"

Kiba growled. "Yes…"

Lee eyed the dogs warily. "What is so special about them, Kiba-kun?"

"Not only are they strong, but they'll take a beating and just won't stop. Most summons leave after taking a certain amount of damage. These guys won't…unless Setsuna dismisses them."

Setsuna's smirk widened even more. She then turned around and walked away slowly, sensually, her hips swaying provocatively as she neared the edge of the entrance. And then, when she was at the entrance, she turned around and said in a sultry voice, "Catch me if you can."

Lee, Kiba, and (after growling at the summons) Akamaru ran towards her as she leapt into the woods and out of sight. "Ino, Sai, protect the clients. The rest of us will capture Setsuna!" Lee barked out, dropping honorifics. The three of them disappeared from view, leaving Sai, Ino, and the merchants with the three summons.

Sai immediately began drawing. "Choju Giga!"

5 Tiger-like creatures sprung forth from his scroll and began tangling with the dogs.

Ino held a kunai and grimaced. "Unbeatable dogs? I hope those idiots catch her soon."

* * *

Lee, Kiba and Akamaru ran swiftly through the trees, looking for Setsuna.

"Can you not track her by scent?" Lee asked Kiba.

"The rain masks it," Kiba responded, "but I might be able to catch a small trace if we're near her." As if on cue, his nose picked up her intoxicating smell. "Right there, straight ahead."

Lee paused and removed his leg warmers, revealing his weights. He reached down, removing each weight before tossing them to the ground, where they made large craters upon impact. "Catch up," he ordered Kiba, and disappeared in a green flash.

Kiba smirked. One of his most proud achievements was that he could keep up with the green Taijutsu Master. While neither of them were on Gai's level, Kiba and Lee could match Kakashi in speed. Neji too, although his dealt more with his striking speed.

Kiba dismounted Akamaru and tossed him a soldier pill. The effect was immediate, as Akamaru turned a deep red. Kiba made a hand seal.

"Shikyaku no Jutsu!"

Grinning in a feral way at his now animal-enhanced form, Kiba burst off in the direction Lee had gone, Akamaru following behind.

When they arrived at a clearing, they just managed to witness Setsuna grabbing a hold of Lee's ankle and using his own momentum to slam him into the ground.

Kiba charged. "Tsuuga!" His spinning body did not make contact with the Inugami and instead met the solid earth as she leapt away.

Lee appeared next to Kiba, and the two of them stared down their opponent.  
"You guys aren't too shabby," Setsuna drawled. "The Green giant over there has excellent Taijutsu, and I can see you've got a nice hang of dog techniques, Inuzuka. Even two on one, I can take you on though."

"While I disagree," Lee said, "you're mistaken."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow.

"You of all people," Kiba continued, "should remember that it's three on one!"

Akamaru burst from the trees and slammed into Setsuna's back at full force, propelling her forward. Lee met her half-way. "Konoha Shoufuu!"

The kick sent Setsuna upward and right into Kiba's attack. "Tsuuga!"

When the smoke cleared, Kiba expected to see Setsuna's unconscious form. Instead, he saw an empty crater.

Lee's eyes narrowed. "Kage Bunshin."

A barrage of kunai came from their left, which the 3 dodged.

"Bravo," Setsuna's voice rang out from the trees surrounding them. "But…"

Her voice was filed with amusement.

"You'll never win."

Akamaru growled.

"She's moving away in all directions. What the hell?" Kiba told Lee.

Lee closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. They were burning.

"Catching Setsuna is our top priority right now. Let's go."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was supposed to cover the fight and then some, but it just wouldn't come out. I was thinking of skipping the fight all-together, but it would have ruined the already sketchy pacing. I don't know what happened to me…I'm losing interest in this. It happens to all my multi-chapter stories. Maybe I should stick to one-shots -_-

Maybe a break will help me get back into the swing of things. Also, kinda funny that Lee, Sai, and Kiba are together on a mission both here and in the manga. Coincidences FTW.


	4. Mission: Part Two

Let's wrap Setsuna up…

Mission: Part 2

"Stupid mutts!" Ino yelled as she kicked one of Setsuna's dogs away. Sai had managed to tie one of them up using ink snakes, and his tigers were fighting the other. However, the 3rd dog had broken past the lines and would not stop charging at the Konoha nin, no matter how many times it got kicked away.

"This is rather troublesome," Sai said as he slashed at the dog when it charged again. "Lee-san and Kiba-san should be finished by now, I presume."

"I hope," Ino grumbled.

"GATSUUGA!"

Setsuna jumped away from the attack and weaved in mid-air, dodging Lee's kick as the drills stopped spinning.

Setsuna had ripped her clothes and tied them onto some of her dogs, scattering her scent. However, she had forgotten that Lee's initial kick at the cave had caused a small cut, and Kiba was able to track her down.

Now the even more scantily-clad Inugami was struggling to dodge both Kiba and Akamaru's attacks with Lee on her trail.

Had this been any other time, Kiba would have stared. However, he just wanted to rip his opponent to pieces. She was stupid and annoying and Kiba was sick of her and this mission.

Setsuna did some seals and pressed her fingers to her mouth. "Katon: Endan!"

Kiba dodged the fireball and tried to strike Setsuna, who jumped back.

"Nice bounce," Kiba commented, smirking as he threw some smoke bombs into the ground.

Setsuna frowned. '_Is he stupid, I can just track them by sme-'_

Her thought process was interrupted by a solid kick to the chin, which launched her upwards.

"Gatsuuga!"

Kiba and Akamaru came down in a combined attack that struck Setsuna in the abdomen, driving her to the ground. The impact of the attack caused a decent-sized crater.

"Game," said Kiba, looking at the unconscious kunoichi.

"It was easier than expected," Lee noted as he began tying her arms and legs together. When he was done, he picked her up and tossed her over her his shoulder. " Let's head back."

* * *

When the two of them arrived back at the cave, they saw all of Setsuna's dogs tied down by Sai's ink snakes.

"Nice," Kiba said.

Lee dropped Setsuna in front of Sai, Ino, and the merchants, her body making a soft thud as it made contact with the ground. He then proceeded to wake her up by tossing some water on her face.

"Ugh," Setsuna said as she came to. When she saw her situation, she smirked. "Nice job," she commented, trying to loosen her bonds to no avail.

"Inugami Setsuna. 21, missing-nin. B-Rank. Known for powerful summons and solid tracking skills. You have quite the bounty on your head," said Sai as he closed his bingo book.

"Why thank you," She replied.

"Setsuna-san, please dismiss your summons," Lee told her.

"No."

Before anyone could react, Setsuna received a swift kick to the head. Yuuto, Bole, and Yune stared in shock as Ino and Kiba rounded on Sai.

"Hey, that was unnecessary!" Ino cried.

Sai stared at them blankly as Lee spoke again, his eyes still on Setsuna. "Sai-kun, while I understand that in The Foundation ROOT, you have been taught to use these methods to get prisoners to comply, I will please ask you as team leader to refrain from such actions."

"Understood."

"Now, Setsuna-san, please dismiss your summon."

"Fuck you," Setsuna growled, spitting at Lee. A glob of spit and blood landed on his cheek, but he merely wiped it with one hand and continued.

"Remove your summons."

"You know," Setsuna drawled suddenly, "that outfit of yours is quite hideous. What kind of mentally-challenged idiot wears that?"

The atmosphere in the cave seemed to drop as Lee glared at Setsuna.

"My sensei wears this outfit and I got it as a gift from him," Lee said, his voice cold as ice. "Now, dismiss your summons."

"Your sensei wears that?" Setsuna said. "Shit, he must be quite the shinobi!" The sarcasm dripped from her voice.

"Your summons."

"I mean seriously…is he as ugly as you are as well?"

"Your summons, Setsuna-san."

"Heh, only a stupid shi-ugh."

Everyone stared at Lee, who had planted his foot in Setsuna's stomach. The blow knocked her out.

"Ino," he said. "Please remove the summons."

"Of course," Ino said. She positioned herself, staring at Setsuna as she brought her hands up. "Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

Her body went limp and Kiba caught her as she slumped over.

"Lee-san, won't we need to unbind Setsuna's hands in order for her to dismiss the summons?" Sai asked.

"No," replied Kiba as he placed Ino on the floor. "All she has to do is tell them to leave."

As he was speaking, Setsuna stirred and awakened. "Success," she said.

Lee nodded approvingly.

'Setsuna' looked at the dogs. "You guys are dismissed," she said, and the three summons disappeared in a poof. Setsuna then slumped over and Ino began to stir. She sat up and stretched.

"That's that," Kiba said. "What do we do with her?"

"We take her with us," Lee said. When the merchants looked at him, he added, "Official Leaf business."

* * *

The party had finally arrived at Iwa, where the Konoha Nin had shown their mission papers at the border and the merchants showed their passports.

Waiting for the merchants was an escort of 4 Iwa nin.

"This is as far as we take you," Lee told the merchants. "Past Fire Country, we have no say. However, I see you hired other ninja so it is all taken care of."

As he spoke, the leader of the squad approached them. "Hello," she said to the merchants. It was a woman with short black hair and pupil-less eyes that reminded Lee of Hinata and Neji. She wore fishnets tights on her legs, a black skirt over the tights, and what appeared to be black pants on the side. She also wore a shinobi vest.

"My name is Kurotsuchi and I am the leader of the team that will escort you the rest of the way," she said. After the merchants had introduced themselves, she looked at Lee. "I assume you are the squad captain?"

"Yes," Lee responded. "My name is Rock Lee."

"Well then Lee-san," Kurotsuchi said, extending a hand, "I thank you for escorting our clients safely across Fire Country."

"And I wish you the best of luck on your mission," Lee replied, shaking her hand. As they let go, Lee noticed Kurotsuchi's eyes glance towards Sai, who had Setsuna over his shoulder.

"Is that Inugami Setsuna?" Kurotsuchi asked. She saw Lee stiffen slightly.

"…yes," he said. Kurotsuchi then gave Lee a grin that reminded him of Morino Ibiki's right hand, Mitarashi Anko.

"You have fun with that," she told him, and then turned around. "Now let's get moving. I'm sure Akatsuchi and the old man miss me."

With that, the group departed, leaving the Konoha-nin and Setsuna.

"That's that," said Ino.

"Yes," Lee said. "Now let's hurry back! If we rush, we can make it to Konoha in one day! Or maybe we should try half a day!"

"It'll take 2 days," Sai said.

Lee seemingly ignored him, taking off at top speed and disappearing into the woods. Ino and Kiba sighed while Sai looked at the woods with interest, and the 3 of them began to chase their overenthusiastic team leader.

When they finally caught up about 15 minutes later, they found Lee standing still on top of a tree branch.

"Geez, Taichou, you could have waited for us," Kiba began, but Lee silenced him by raising his hand. As Kiba raised an eyebrow, Lee looked at Sai.

"Sai-kun," he said quietly, "are we alone?"

Sai immediately pulled out a scroll and drew all sorts of small animals, which all scattered around the area. Around 10 minutes later, Sai opened his eyes. "Yes."

"Good," Lee said, and jumped down. His team followed him, confused.

"Tsunade-sama had an ulterior motive for accepting this mission," Lee told his teammates as they sat down. "You see, it is believed that Inugami Setsuna has had contact with Akatsuki not too long ago."

"Akatsuki!?" Kiba said as Ino stiffened next to him.

"Yes. Tsunade-sama only put the information on the squad captain's scroll to minimize the chances of a leak," Lee explained. "Our real mission is to bring Setsuna-san to Konoha so that Ibiki-san and the interrogation squad can extract her knowledge. However," here Lee looked at Ino, "we are to see if we can find anything out beforehand to aid Ibiki-san. This is why Ino-san was brought along," Lee finished.

"Me?" Ino asked.

"I've heard that the Yamanaka clan possesses an uncanny ability to search through people's memories," Sai commented.

"Y-yeah, but I'm still a novice at that! There are many other members of my clan who'd do much better!" Ino exclaimed.

"Tsunade-sama only wants you to try, Ino-san," Lee said. "She's not expecting much as she knows you are not yet too proficient."

"…alright. Sai-kun, put Setsuna up against a tree," Ino ordered. Sai complied, dropping the target rather roughly.

"You up to this, Ino?" Kiba smirked.

"ARF!"

"You'll see, dog breath," Ino replied. She then closed her eyes and made a seal before placing her hand on Setsuna's forehead.

The others watched, but after 10 minutes it appeared that the process would take some time, so they set up a small area and sat down, keeping watch as they ate their rations. When 2 hours had passed, Kiba growled in annoyance. "This is taking too long. Ino should just give up."

"Patience, Dogbreath," Sai responded. Kiba looked at him in shock. "Yes?"

"You called me Dogbreath!" Kiba cried.

"ARF!" cried Akamaru.

"Well, Ino-san calls you that, so I assumed it was your nickname. And friends use nicknames with each other. Isn't that right, Gejimayu-taichou?" Sai asked.

The corners of Lee's mouth twitched. "Yes."

"…whatever," Kiba grumbled.

"The birth of friendship is such a beautiful sight!" Lee began, "Why, if Gai-sensei was here he'd-" He was interrupted by a gasp, and then Ino pulled away from Setsuna.

"Did you see anything?" Lee asked quickly.

"Y-yes," Ino said, looking shaken.

"Hey Ino, are you alright?" Kiba sounded concerned.

Ino took a deep breath. "Yes."

"So, what did you find?" Kiba asked.

"Let me recount what I saw," Ino said.

_Flashback_

"As you know, I was observing this in Setsuna's point of view, so I'll tell it that way to make it easier on myself."

"Of course."

_I stood nervously. The boss had asked me to meet a client, who would give me a job to do. I took it because the boss said it'd be good pay, but the client was now 10 minutes late and the waiting was getting to me. Suddenly, I heard a rustle. I turned around and gasped as a hand tied by black strings burst from the shadows and clutched my throat, lifting me off the ground. _

"_Blink once if you're here for business," a cold voice said. I complied, and a tall man wearing what appeared to be a black cloak with red clouds appeared, his blue eyes looking at me. Suddenly, he pulled out a kunai._

"_What's the code?" he asked._

_The boss had told me. Blink 8 times, but wait five seconds between the last two. I did so, and the man dropped me to the ground._

"_Good," he said as I gasped for breath. Suddenly, I heard another voice._

"_Oi, Kakuzu! Where the hell did you disappear off to?" The voice sounded annoyed._

_The man, who I now knew was named Kakuzu, sighed. "Over here, moron."_

_After some rustling, a young man wearing the same cloak appeared. He had white hair and purple eyes, and had a woman slung over his shoulder. "And who the hell is this?"_

"_I hired her. My friend runs a business and she's going to provide me with what I need."_

_The young man's face screwed up. "Goddamn it, Kakuzu. Couldn't you at least wait 'till we dropped off this Yugito chick before hiring yourself a whore?"_

"_Who the hell are you calling a whore, dipshit?" I snapped, before realizing who I talking to. I paled immediately. The young man, however, looked slightly amused._

"_Oh, you have a tongue, don't you?" He turned around. "You're dressed like one, slut. Anyway, I'll go scout the area or some shit while you and that bitch do whatever, Kakuzu. Fucking heathens, the both of you."_

_With that, the young man walked away, Yugito still on his shoulder._

"_Ignore Hidan, he's an idiot," Kakuzu said. _

_I was still looking at Hidan's retreating back when he barked, "Pay attention!"_

_I looked at him. "Here's the deal. There are some merchants holding a very valuable item. Your boss will give you information on it. They will eventually make a trek to Iwa. You won't be able to get to them beforehand as they are in a town protected by Konoha."_

_I nodded to show I understood. _

"_You will ambush them. You will steal the item. You will bring it to this address, and you will collect the money. You will bring it back to your boss. And if you don't, I'll find you and I'll kill you. Understood?" I nodded. "Good. You'll keep 10% of the money." He handed me a slip of paper with an address on it._

"_Only ten?" I asked, before his killing intent overwhelmed me and I dropped to my knees._

"_Only ten. That's about ten times what your boss pays you now, so you should be happy. Now, memorize the address and burn the sheet. That's all. I'm on a tight schedule, so I'll take my leave." With that, he abruptly turned around and walked away in the direction that Hidan had gone in._

_I stood there, rubbing my throat. Bastards, the both of them._

_End Flashback_

"It doesn't seem like she knows anything," Ino concluded.

"Perhaps. However, this boss of hers was doing business with Kakuzu, so perhaps she overheard some things. Still, our mission is to bring her back," Sai said.

"Hidan and Kakuzu. Aren't they…" Kiba looked at Ino.

"Yes," she snapped. Kiba winced. Obviously, they were the ones that had killed Sarutobi Asuma. He shouldn't have asked. Hana did always say that he lacked tact.

"Ino-san," Lee spoke. "We are leaving in an hour. The rest of us already ate, so I suggest you do the same."

"Alright," replied Ino.

* * *

When Kiba saw the gates of Konoha, he couldn't help but cheer. "Home sweet home!"

"It is nice to be back," Lee agreed. His eyes suddenly brightened. "And this means it is time to continue our plans for Hinata-san!"

"About that," Ino said as the group passed Izumo and Kotetsu, "I do believe you'd let me help."

"Of course!" Lee said brightly as the group headed towards the Hokage tower to report in and hand off their prisoner,

"You said Hinata's going to go on a date with Naruto, right?"

"Yes," Lee said.

"Then I know what Hinata and I are doing tomorrow," Ino said, smiling.

"And that'd be?" Kiba asked.

Ino gave him a look. "Are you stupid. We're going shopping, obviously."

* * *

A/N: I finished it! I seriously wrote this in the span of two days after not touching it in forever. The fight with Setsuna was very choppy, but I just wanted to wrap it up. As for Hidan and Kakuzu, I added them because I love Hidan and I dislike Hinata, so I didn't want to get to her.

Funny, I'm writing a Hinata-centric story and she's my least favorite character. Lee, Kiba, Ino, Hidan, Neji, Tenten, and Gai are all here though! No way I can squeeze in Kabuto and Sasuke though. Oh well.

Oh yeah, I didn't proof-read this, so forgive any and all mistakes.

Please review, and maybe we'll see each other soon. Maybe.


	5. Just Your Average Day

A/N: K, so this story needs to be finished like nao.

Just Your Average Day

Hyuuga Hinata had never been a particularly confident person. That was fact. Likewise, she had never been much of an outgoing person either. She tended to get overwhelmed by all of the noise and energy.

Which is precisely why she was terrified at the notion of spending an entire day with Yamanaka Ino for the sole purpose of preparing for her date with Naruto.

Hinata stood nervously in front of the Hyuuga mansion, looking down the street to see if the fiery blonde was approaching her home. However, she could not see anyone. She sighed. '_When is Ino-san going to get here?'_

Suddenly, she felt someone cup her breasts from behind.

"Oh my," purred Ino into Hinata's ear, "you're quite gifted."

Hinata blushed furiously as Ino let go of her and stood before her. However, before any more words could be said, the Hyuuga guard in charge of the entrance came up to them.

"How dare you handle Hinata-sama in such a manner!" yelled the guard. Ino merely gave him a bored look. He fumed, "to disrespect the Hyuuga like this is-"

"That is enough, Koh," Hinata said quietly but in the commanding tone her father had been trying to teach her, "you will forget about this incident and return to your post."

"Yes, my lady," Koh said and returned to guarding the entrance, but tossing a final glance at Ino before leaving.

"That was interesting!" Ino exclaimed. "Come on, let's go." She turned around and began walking away, prompting Hinata to go after her.

As Hinata fell into step with Ino, the latter spoke. "Thanks for covering for me back there."

"I-it was nothing," Hinata replied. "Um, why did you..." she blushed again, not being able to finish her question.

Ino grinned. "Oh, that? I was just checking your size. We need it for the lingerie."

"Lingerie?" Hinata asked, almost shouting in shock.

"Well, duh," Ino said. "Don't you wanna impress Naruto? You guys are going out to dinner, right? There's always dessert afterward." She tried not to laugh at Hinata's rapidly reddening face. "But trust me, you have everything you need."

Hinata noticed Ino's eyes travel to her chest as she said that last particular phrase. She crossed her arms, "Ino-san, I-"

"Relax," Ino said easily. "I'm joking. I don't expect you to jump into bed with him after one date, sheesh."

Hinata relaxed at that.

"However, we ARE buying you some nice clothes and we are definitely buying you some sexy lingerie because I bet the Yamanaka clan's Council seat that you don't own any." Ino took Hinata's silence as a confirmation. "Thought so."

Hinata and Ino had by now entered the civilian shopping district of Konoha. They received waves from many of the people and one little boy ran up to them.

"You guys are ninja, right?" His voiced was laced with excitement.

"Damn right we are," Ino said. The boy's eyes shined.

"So cool!"

"Do you want to be a ninja?" Hinata asked sweetly, squatting down and petting his head.

"Yes! I want to be just like my dad! He's the best ninja ever! Mom says he's in an extended mission, but I can't wait for him to return!"

Ino's smile faltered at that. The boy, however, asked if they could show him a ninja trick. Hinata activated her Byakugan and the boy's eyes filled with joy as he went to tell his mother of what he had just seen.

"Did you recognize him?" Ino asked Hinata.

"No," Hinata answered, confused.

"That's Orihara Shigeru-san's kid," Ino said.

Hinata's heart plummeted. Orihara Shigeru had met his end in a mission 3 weeks ago. "But surely they know that-"

"She doesn't know how to tell him," Ino said, looking at the mother and child as they walked away.

"How sad..."

Ino sighed. "I really hope he doesn't become a ninja."

Hinata thought about their accursed lifestyle. "I agree..."

* * *

Nara Shikamaru yawned as he walked into the public library, holding a book in one hand. He had been asked by his mother to return her book on deer. Shikamaru frowned, _'Troublesome. We are the experts on deer and our research notes have more information than any book on this library, so why does she always insist on checking out more?' _He would never understand his mother's actions. Shikamaru approached the counter and returned the book. As he was heading out to leave, however, he caught an interesting sight—Sai and Rock Lee sitting together, each reading a book.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Shikamaru approached the duo.

"Hello," he greeted them.

"Ah, Shikamaru-kun!" Lee said, putting his book down. Sai also put his down, nodding at Shikamaru.

"So what are you guys up to?" Shikamaru asked as he sat down with them.

"I'm studying about human relationships," Sai responded. "I just reached the part about the feelings behind promises. It's quite fascinating."

Shikamaru nodded. He knew that until recently, Sai had been forced to squash his emotions under ROOT. As a result, Sai lacked any social tact.

Turning, he looked at Lee's book and raised an eyebrow. "Dating 101?"

"Yosh!"

"Sakura finally said yes, eh?"

"Not yet, sadly," Lee said. "But that is neither here nor there. This is for Hinata-san's benefit."

"Hinata?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes! I am Hinata's personal trainer and my job is to help her gain some confidence! And so, I have decided that she will ask out Naruto and go on a date with him!" Lee said, his voice getting louder due to his excitement.

"And I assume Hinata is with Ino right now," Shikamaru mused.

Lee looked slightly surprised. "How did you know?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Ino was being a pain in the ass, telling me to cover for her at the flower shop later today because she had to help someone get ready for a date."

` "Has anyone considered," Sai said suddenly, "that Naruto might reject Hinata's offer?"

The two stared at him for a second, and he looked down, wondering if he had said something stupid. Perhaps the book had lied to him regarding how relationships worked?

"Nah, no one has to worry about that," Shikamaru finally responded. "The idiot's too nice to turn her down for a single date, even if he likes Sakura. If anything, at the end he'd tell her that he enjoyed himself but that she deserves someone who can return her feelings or something."

Sai thought about the hyperactive blond.

"That may be true."

"At any rate," Shikamaru said to Lee, "Ino will probably tell Hinata everything she needs to know. Trust me."

"I believe, based on my readings, that Shikamaru-san is trying to tell you as nicely as possible that you should not give Hinata any dating advice, Gejimayu-san," Sai said.

Lee laughed. "I admit I am no expert, but I felt I should at least try to help her in some way. Do not worry, Shikamaru-kun."

"Tch," Shikamaru said, "making me look like an ass. I didn't quite mean it that way." He stood up. "Anyway, I have to go. Good luck."

As the two bade him farewell, Shikamaru thought about the Hinata-Sakura-Naruto triangle and how Ino had managed to get herself deeply entrenched in the outcome. _'This should be interesting.' _He hurried his pace. He'd stop by the cemetery to pay his respects. Afterward, he'd stop by the hospital and keep the promise he had been entrusted with. Shikamaru fingered the cigarettes in his vest pocket before exiting the building.

* * *

"How about this one?"

Hinata turned and looked at what Ino was holding, which a light purple top. It was simple but pretty.

"I like it," Hinata said.

"Good," Ino said triumphantly, handing it over to her.

Ino and Hinata continued to browse the store's selections. Ino would continuously pick out clothes that worked to show off Hinata's body, but the Hyuuga was usually too embarrassed to purchase them. Every now and then, however, Ino would find something that Hinata found appealing, and it would be purchased. However, judging by Ino's widening grin, it was obvious that she chose the more risque clothes solely to mess with Hinata.

As the two continued to walk on, Hinata kept on shooting glances at Ino. The Yamanaka was Sakura's best friend. This made it interesting, because Naruto clearly wanted Sakura's affection, and Hinata had noticed that the pink-haired medic had slowly warmed up to him.

Hinata stopped walking, causing Ino to look back at her. "Something wrong?"

"Ino-san," Hinata said before steadily meeting Ino's gaze, "why are you helping me?"

Ino looked confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Sakura-san is your best friend," Hinata said. "Are you really going to betray her like this?"

"What?"

"Sakura-san likes Naruto, does she not?"

"Sakura doesn't like Naruto!" Ino exclaimed. "I mean, she appreciates him now when compared to the past, but that's it. Well," she continued, "I suppose they _have_ gotten closer but it's understandable, right? They're teammates and finally reached an agreement."

Hinata looked unconvinced, and Ino sighed.

"Look, Hinata, Sakura has never mentioned once that she might have feelings for Naruto, and she tells me everything. Don't worry about it."

Hinata nodded her head slowly. "Alright. Thank you, Ino-san."

They continued walking in silence, looking through the racks for anything that might please them. As they walked, Hinata glanced at Ino. The Yamanaka had always struck Hinata as imposing and harsh. However, spending the day with her had shown her that what Hinata had mistaken as imposing was actually boundless confidence and her harshness was merely her strong disposition.

"This is nice," Hinata said quietly. Ino looked at her in surprise. "Thank you once again, Ino-san."

Ino smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

"GATSUUGA!"

The yell was accompanied by a massive crater on the ground as Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru's attack missed. The target, Aburame Shino, was sweating profusely as he continued to avoid the assault that his teammate was dishing out. Finally, Kiba stopped spinning, and Akamaru followed suit.

"Whew," Kiba said as he wiped sweat from his brow, "that was something."

Shino nodded, looking exhausted—or as exhausted as an Aburame was allowed to look. "Your speed and precision have definitely improved."

"I have to agree," said a third voice, and both teens glanced at Yuhi Kurenai, who had been standing there, observing.

"Really?" Kiba asked. He puffed out his chest. "And I bet you my Tsuuga is stronger than Akamaru's."

Akamaru growled at that.

"But really, sensei, I wish you could spar with us," he added. Kurenai smiled.

"You know I can't," she said, a hand on her rapidly increasing stomach. She glanced at the sky. "I think it's time for my appointment," she mused. "Why don't you took take the day off?"

"Of course, sensei," Shino responded, and she bid them farewell. When she was gone, Shino addressed Kiba. "I am going into the local forest to collect and study some bugs. Would you and Akamaru like to accompany me?"

"Sure, why not?" Kiba answered. Akamaru, however, whined. "Oh, is that so?" Kiba asked him. Akamaru barked and nodded his head. "Akamaru says he's tired so he'll go back to our place." Shino nodded and Akamaru took off.

Soon, Kiba and Shino were in the midsts of Konoha's forest. Kiba watched silently as Shino explored each and every tree, sometimes gathering bugs and other times shaking his head before moving on. As Shino picked up and studied a particularly fat specimen, Kiba yawned.

"If this bores you, you can leave," Shino said quietly.

"Nah, I'm just tired," Kiba responded, stretching. "So, what do you think Hinata and Ino are up to?"

"Shopping, I'd presume," Shino said.

"Well no shit, smartass. I meant, like, what do you think they're getting?"

Shino stopped to think. "Something that Uzumaki would find appealing."

"That's what I thought," Kiba said, nodding.

Shino then raised an eyebrow as he placed the rotund bug in his collection box. "Then why ask?"

Kiba looked at him, disbelief etched on his face. "It's _Ino._ You do realize what she deems as attractive, right?"

Shino shook his head. "You're being too negative. Yamanaka is not stupid."

Kiba snorted. "I'd beg to differ."

After that, they spent the rest of the trip making small talk about missions, bugs, dogs, food, and the like. Kiba found, to his surprise, that he and Shino had ended up near the Training Grounds for Team 7. Kiba sniffed the air and his nose twitched as he picked up a familiar scent. Suddenly, an idea began forming in his brain.

"Shino, wait here." Kiba put his hands together and made a seal. "Henge!"

When the smoke cleared, Shino resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You are a complete idiot."

"Eh, shut your mouth," the transformed Kiba shot back.

He glanced between the branches as a grin formed on his face. "This will be good."

* * *

Ino and Hinata had by now decided to stop for lunch, and they happened to have chosen a popular dango shop. After entering and ordering, Ino plopped down on her seat. "Man, I'm beat."

Hinata sat down across from her and nodded slowly. "It's been a tiring day."

"But!" Ino said, "we still haven't finished. We need to buy the make-up. I can't believe you don't own any."

Hinata blushed in embarrassment. "I told you, Ino-san, Father does not approve. The only time I'm allowed make-up is at the Hyuuga Clan meetings. And even then, he has someone do it for me."

"Ugh," Ino replied as a waiter set their orders down in front of them, "I feel for you." She picked up her dango stick and took a bite. "Mmmm..."

Hinata stared at her own meal, lost in thought. The actuality of her asking Naruto on a date came closer and closer with every minute, with every purchase. She began to feel nervous. What if he said no? What if he laughed? What if Sakura heard about it? How would she feel? Hinata was so focused on her questions that she failed to see Ino trying to get her attention until the blonde snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Ah!"

"Geez," Ino said, "that was some deep thinking."

"Sorry..."

Ino waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Your food is getting cold, and we have to hurry up and buy make-up. I need time if you want to knock Naruto off of his feet."

As Hinata opened her mouth to reply, a third person spoke. "Oh really?"

Both girls turned towards the direction of the voice and found the voluptuous figure of Mitarashi Anko, complete with the violet hair and dango in her mouth, sitting on the table behind them. Anko stared at Hinata in amusement. "You're going after that Uzumaki brat?"

Ino responded for her. "Yes, she's going to ask him out tomorrow."

Anko nodded. "That's a good choice, Hyuuga-chan." As she said this, Anko licked her lips. "The boy is hung like a bull, and with that Kage Bunshin trick of his, you can get it from all sides. Why, as soon as he turns 18 I'm going to-"

CRASH!

Anko blinked and stared at the Hyuuga heiress, who had fainted and fallen to the ground, a small trickle of blood coming from her nose. "Oh my."

Ino sighed.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Every muscle in his body ached and he had never felt as comfortable as he did now, sprawled on the ground and looking up at the sky. His eyes traced patterns on the clouds, something he had picked up from Shikamaru. As he did this, he noticed that one cloud looked like a fan. Seeing the shape, his mind wandered.

Sasuke.

Naruto's fist tightened as he thought about the Uchiha. He had had expectations when he set out to the Heaven and Earth Bridge, but seeing his former best friend had left nothing but a bitter taste in his mouth.

Sasuke had crushed him, plain and simple. He had blitzed him and belittled him, showed him how large the gap between them still was. Naruto had been so frustrated that he had picked up his training tenfold. Furthermore, he could now add Fuuton to his repertoire. _'Not that Rasenshuriken will do me any good.'_

The Jinchuuriki was broken out of his thoughts by the appearance of his other teammate, Haruno Sakura, who was now standing over him, blocking his view of the clouds. "Hey, Naruto."

Naruto sat up, "Hiya, Sakura-chan!"

"Tired from training, I see," Sakura noted.

Naruto grinned. "As always. So what's up?"

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing much. Oh, I ran into Hinata on the way here."

"Hinata-chan?"

"Yeah." Sakura suddenly smiled softly. "She's a sweet girl, isn't she?"

Naruto blinked in confusion at the sudden question but provided an answer anyway. "Yeah. She's really nice."

Sakura met Naruto's eyes and he noticed a strange glimmer in them. "Naruto, how do you feel about Hinata?"

"Eh?" Naruto stared at Sakura, rubbing the back of his head. "Why?"

"Just curious," Sakura responded, observing the boy in front of her.

"Well, she's really nice!" Naruto began. "She gave me this healing ointment once and it really did the trick! You should ask her about it!

She's friendly, but weird. She's always blushing and fainting." Naruto's voice soon took on a worried tone. "Sakura-chan, maybe she's sick. You should check her out!"

As he said this, he noticed Sakura roll her eyes before she spoke.

"Hinata seems really dependable and warm. I'm sure whoever gets together with her will be very happy."

Naruto thought about that for a second, recalling everything he knew about Hinata. "I guess you're right. But," he tilted his head in confusion, "where is this coming from, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's face took a flustered expression. "Ah, well, you see..."

"AAAH!"

Sakura jumped, startled. "What's wrong?"

"Baa-chan wanted me! Oh damn, she'll kill me for sure!" Naruto jogged in place. "I have to go. Bye Sakura-chan!"

He took off immediately, leaving Sakura alone. She stared after him, then snarled. "Idiot."

"Then you guys are made for each other," came a dry voice, and Sakura turned around to find Shino approaching, hands in his coat.

"Whatever," she grumbled, before being covered in smoke. When it cleared, Kiba stood in her place. "We learned nothing of value."

"It was an impulsive and poorly thought out plan," Shino said.

Kiba waved a hand. "Whatever, no harm was done so it's all good, right?"

Shino sighed and began making his way towards town. Realizing he wouldn't receive an answer, Kiba took one last glance at the training field and left, leaving it empty.

* * *

Ino leaned back against the couch she was sitting on. After Hinata had fainted, Anko had apologized while laughing. When Ino asked how Anko knew Naruto was 'hung like a bull,' the Snake Mistress said it was a secret and exited the store, smirking.

The now frustrated Ino had been lucky enough to spot her teammate Akimichi Chouji walking past the store. Chouji had happily agreed to help Ino take Hinata back to the Yamanaka household, easily carrying the girl as the blonde followed. Chouji was now helping himself to Ino's fridge as they both waited for the Hyuuga heiress to awaken.

"Hey Ino," Chouji's voice came from the kitchen, "do you have any sugar?"

"Top left drawer!"

"Ah, there it is! Thank you!"

A few moments later, Chouji walked into the living room holding a humongous sandwich and a large mug of coffee. Ino tried to stop herself from rolling her eyes and smiling at her teammate's antics, but it proved futile. Chouji settled himself next to Ino and took a large bite out of his sandwich.

"Sho wyed zere yu an Hewnahtu huawginh waut?"

Ino looked at him. "That's disgusting."

Chouji swallowed. "Sorry. So why were you and Hinata hanging out?"

Ino sighed. "I was helping her get ready for her date."

"Date? With who?"

Ino explained the entire situation, beginning with Kiba asking Neji for advice and ending with their mission, leaving out the part where she found out Setsuna had met Hidan and Kakuzu. They were both dead or, in Hidan's case, disabled. She didn't feel like dampening the mood.

When she was done, Chouji had a huge smile on his face. "That's awesome! Hinata deserves it, and Naruto could use someone like her."

Ino nodded in agreement. "As long as he says yes."

"If he doesn't?"

"Then we will return everything and her friends will handle the aftermath."

Ino leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes.

"Wake me up when Hinata comes to."

* * *

"Understood?" Tsunade asked as Shizune fixed some papers on her desk.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Hyuuga Neji replied, giving a quick bow as he took his scroll.

"Good," she said, and then her eyes softened. "No one likes wet work, Neji, but we have to keep this village running. Dismissed."

Neji bowed once more and exited the room elegantly, much to Tsunade's amusement.

Outside, the Jonin sighed and glanced at his scrolls. Assassinations were always very messy and very risky. While Neji's Jyuuken allowed him to kill his target with a single blow, it usually left a large mark on the victim, which is why he preferred using a kunai to slice the throat. Then again, all of his assassinations had specifically asked to make sure that the target looked thoroughly destroyed, to send a message. He growled in disgust. Politicians were the dirtiest bunch of them all.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a familiar and loud voice. "YOSH! MY ETERNAL RIVAL!"

"Hello, Lee," Neji said as he spotted the spirited young man at the bottom of the stairs. He noted that Tenten was also with him, and she was waiving at him energetically. He felt a smile come onto his face as he saw his team. He joined them at the bottom of the stairs, where Lee immediately began questioning him.

"Is that a mission scroll?"

"Yes."

'What rank?"

` "A-rank."

"OOOOOH! You have beaten me once again, Neji! I come back from a B-rank only to find out you are about to leave on an A-rank!" Lee sobbed. "Once again I am left in the dust of your genius. Wait. Neji, it is too coincidental for us to meet at such a moment! Have you come here to _**gloat**__!" _

WHACK!

Lee rubbed the back of his head, looking at Tenten, who put her hand down. "Lee, WE came here, you idiot."

Lee grinned sheepishly. "I apologize, I got carried away."

Tenten smiled at her teammate's actions. "So, Neji, what kind of mission?"

"Assassination," Neji said, smiling grimly.

Lee sobered up immediately. No one in Team Gai was fond of such missions. After a moment of silence, Neji spoke. "And why are you guys here?"

"Because we're a team," Tenten replied simply. At Neji's arched eyebrow, she continued. "A team-"

"Requires teamwork," Lee continued.

"Teamwork-"

"Is best achieved when-"

"Teammates understand one another, which-"  
"Usually happens through bonding, and-"

"One way to bond is-"

"To spend time together, so-"

"We came here-"

"To spend time with you!" Lee and Tenten finished together.

Neji stared at them for a second. Then, "Never do that again."

Tenten laughed.

"So, my eternal rival, would you like to accompany our beautiful flower-ouch!-I mean _Tenten _and I to Ichiraku Ramen if you have time available?" Lee asked.

Neji sighed, although his teammates could tell he was happy with the invitation. "I suppose..."

"Did you hear that, Lee?" Tenten said with fake enthusiasm. "The great Neji-sama has agreed to grace us with his presence today! His fangirls will die of jealousy. I guess Fate and his sweetheart Destiny allowed it!"

"Shut up," Neji mumbled.

Tenten giggled. "So, Lee, how has your day been so far?"

"Most excellent, my lovely teammate," Lee told her. "First I awoke at 4:30 and ran 200 laps around Konoha with Gai-sensei. Then he and I embraced as we watched the glorious sunrise over a nice picnic at the top of the Hokage Monument."

Neji raised an eyebrow and the corners of Tenten's mouth twitched, but neither one made a comment regarding the relationship between Lee and Gai, which could easily be mistaken for something else.

Lee went on, oblivious of his team's amusement. "Afterward, I cleansed my body and journeyed to the library, where Sai and I indulged ourselves in the fine pleasures of reading. We ran into Shikamaru, and discussed Hinata-san and Naruto-kun's upcoming date. Now, I am here."

"Fascinating," Tenten said. "Neji?"

"I woke up. I showered. I ate. I trained. I came to pick up my mission."

"You really know how to get a girl excited," Tenten remarked drily.

Neji said nothing.

"As for me," she continued. "I woke up, figured I had nothing to do, picked up a civilian for a quickie-"

"What!" Neji shouted, then blushed in embarrassment as he realized he had shouted, something out of character for him.

"Just kidding," Tenten told him, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "I actually went to see if you were home, but they told me you had left, so I found Lee and we came to greet you."

She stretched. "It's nice getting a week off from missions," she sighed contently.

"Lucky you," Neji grumbled.

The group rounded the corner, discussing daily gossip and techniques, until Lee suddenly tensed. "My senses are tingling."

Neji rolled his eyes, and sure enough, Maito Gai came into sight, following the unmistakable figure of Hatake Kakashi, and Yamato bringing up the rear.

"The score, Kakashi, the score! We cannot let the week end in a tie!" Gai shouted, drawing the eyes of several civilians towards him.

"Did you say something?" Kakashi asked airily.

The expression on Gai's face was priceless. "Darn your cool and hip attitude, Kakashi! I will not allow our week to end with me losing!"

"Gai-kun,I really think a tie is a perfect way to end the week," Yamato said, trying to appease the spandex-wearing Jonin. Before Gai could respond, however, he spotted Lee.

"My beloved student!" Gai roared.

"Sensei!" Lee saluted.

"Lee, Kakashi's rejection has left a burning desire in me that needs to be quenched! Come with me!"

Tenten's mouth twitched again as Lee shouted out an enthusiastic "YOSH!"

"Let us do 500 laps around Konoha...on our hands!"

The two took off immediately, leaving Tenten and Neji alone, as Yamato and Kakashi had already moved away.

Tenten noticed Neji pinching the bridge of his nose, and she couldn't help but laugh. When he turned a frosty glare on her, she gave him an innocent look. "Ichiraku?"

* * *

The sun was setting when Hinata and Ino stopped in front of the Hyuuga Manor. Each of them held large bags, a testament to their day. Hinata marveled at Ino, wishing she was as pretty as the girl next to her. Soon, Ino broke the peaceful silence when she pointed at one of the Hyuuga guards. "You, take these bags inside please!"

The Hyuuga happened to be Koh, who had already formed a negative opinion of Yamanaka.. His eyes narrowed dangerously and he began speaking, "Who do you think-"

"Koh-san," Hinata said quietly, "please."

Koh froze, then bowed low to Hinata and took the bags away. Free from her burden, Ino stretched.

"Today was something, wasn't it?" The blonde asked.

"Yes," Hinata agreed.

There was an awkward silence.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow after you score a date with Naruto, so you can tell me everything," Ino said after some more silence.

"If he says yes," Hinata mumbled.

"When," Ino corrected.

"Ino-san, I want to keep a realis-"

"No!" Ino shouted in frustration. Hinata's eyes widened as Ino took her hands and grasped them "Hinata, you're a beautiful girl. You're strong, you're kind, you're...perfect. Naruto will say yes, alright?" She finished gently.

"I-"

"So," Ino continued firmly, "keep your head up. I expect you to come to me with good news, you hear?"

Hinata nodded, unable to form words. Ino gave her a satisfied look and began to walk away. Hianta stared at her back, and her voice finally came back as Ino was about to walk out of sight.

"Thank you! Thank you for today, Ino-san!"

Ino raised a hand without looking back. "Just Ino will do, Hinata."

And she was gone.

When Hinata reached her room, she rolled her shoulders and proceeded to undress. Picking up a towel and her robe, she headed into the bathroom and turned on the water, staring at the stream as it filled her tub. Her eyes were unfocused, thinking of what was to come tomorrow.

Tomorrow was the day.

It was hard to describe exactly what she was feeling, but it was mix between utter fear and elation. She had spent countless nights imagining what a date with Naruto would be like. It always ended with her receiving a scorching kiss (Naruto seemed like the type). Hinata closed the tap and sank into the tub, shutting her eyes and relaxing.

Naruto was...everything she had always wanted to be. He was everything she _could _be. She'd seen every struggle, from his shunning as a kid to the loss of his friend. She'd seen him smile, scream, laugh, cry, get back up, and try again. It was such inspiration. And it came from a boy, nearly a man, who had a heart so large and a smile so warm that it was nearly impossible to dislike him.

These were Hinata's thoughts as she bathed, as she thought about the boy she had feelings for, at the prospect of asking him out.

Despite Ino's words, Hinata knew that there was a possibility she'd get turned down. Naruto liked Sakura and it was no secret. Hinata wasn't stupid. She knew that she was putting her heart on the line for a boy that did not return her feelings. However, she hoped that their outing would let Naruto see that Sakura wasn't his only option. She wasn't the only girl in the world. Hinata would let Naruto know that she was there. She had to take a risk to get what she wanted, as she had learned from Kiba and Lee.

Hinata finally emerged from her bath and dried herself slowly before putting on her robe. She

planned to read a bit before going to bed. Reaching into her bookcase, she pulled out the book she had recently checked out from the library. It was a simple romantic tale, but the lead reminded her of Naruto. She laid down on her bed and opened to the page she had left off at. However, she was unable to start because a small pebble hit her window. Tensing immediately, she made a seal. "Byakugan!" The kekke genkai allowed her to gaze past the wall, where she spotted Kiba and Akamaru. Smiling softly, she approached the window and opened it, looking down to where Kiba stood, leaning on his faithful companion.

"Yo," he greeted, grinning.

"Kiba-kun," she said, "what brings you here?"

"I wanted to see if you survived your day with Ino," Kiba said.

She giggled. "Thank you for your concern."

"No problem," he replied. "By the way, you look great in that robe."

Hinata blushed slightly. She was used to Kiba's shameless flirting with anything that had breasts , her included. It was just how he was. "Thank you."

Kiba leaned against the wall of her home. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"...more or less, yes," was her response.

Kiba sighed. "Look, Hinata, I'm sure Naruto will say yes but even so, it was stupid to do all of this without even asking him."

"It's fine," Hinata said. Kiba looked at her in surprise. "I had fun today. I've had fun ever since this whole thing started, Kiba-kun. Even if he says no, I've learned a lot through this experience. And I will not give up, because Naruto would not give up. It'll be just a setback."

Kiba stared at her.

"You've grown," he said, finally. "I'm proud of you."

Hinata smiled down at her best friend. "I appreciate that. By the way, Kiba-kun, how exactlydid you get in here?"

"Koh let me in for 5 minutes, which should be ending right about now." On cue, Koh's voice rang through the manor.

"Inuzuka is causing trouble again. Find him and kick him out!"

Kiba gave a wolfish smile. "That's my cue!" He hopped on top of Akamaru.

"Goodnight, Kiba-kun."

"Night," he said. "I expect good results tomorrow."

He took off, leaving Hianta staring at the empty spot where he had once been.

She went back inside and picked up her book.

Today had been a good day, and tomorrow would be better.

* * *

A/N: I'm sick of this story. There's...two chapters left, maybe 3. Ad they'll be shorter chapters. Oh, and I didn't proof-read this either =p

I'm a one-shot writer. Chapter fics don't work for me ;_;


	6. Just As Planned

Just As Planned

Hinata stared at herself in the mirror, slowly attempting to catch her breath as she gazed at her reflection. She wore a light lavender tank-top and a nice skirt that Ino had picked up for her. In Ino's words, simple but effective. She gave herself another look and in the back of her mind thought that her generation was quite blessed to have such peace. In her father's time, a kunoichi dressing up, spending a day dressing up, and spending an entire morning working up the courage to ask out her crush was unheard of. It was war after war, battle after battle, and Hinata appreciated it more than most people did.

Sighing, she pulled herself away from the mirror and walked towards her door. Ino had bought her a "pre-date" outfit, which is what she was wearing.

_'You have to look nice when you ask him out!'_

Her eyes drifted towards her closet, where her date outfit resided. Slightly more provocative but still modest were Ino's words.

Smiling softly, Hinata exited her room, determination swelling up inside of her. She greeted Koh as she walked past him and spotted Neji training with her father. Upon seeing her, Koh stopped.

"Hinata-hime?"

"Yes?"

"Neji-san asked me to deliver a message for today," Koh said.

"Speak, Koh," she replied.

"Neji-san says 'Good luck.'"

Hinata smiled. "Thank you, Koh-san," she said graciously and bowed. She continued on and finally left the Hyuuga compound, beginning her search for Naruto.

As she walked down the roads of Konoha, Hinata could not help but notice that she was getting stares, particularly from the male population. Hinata knew why. She knew she had a well-developed body, but a mixture of shyness and a lack of self-confidence caused her to wear her large jacket wherever she went. This was probably the first time she was walking around Konoha in something that wasn't her formal attire or her coat, something so casual. Ino had predicted it.

Ino. Hinata had never gotten close to her classmate, opting to spy on Naruto rather than make relations. Thus, through the brief meetings and through word of mouth, Hinata had formed the opinion that Ino was rash, spoiled, and unkind. Getting to know the girl, Hinata had been forced to re-evaluate her opinion and now knew how kind and friendly the blonde was. This entire scheme had helped her get to know Ino better, and for that Hinata was glad.

Ino wasn't the only person Hinata had become more familiar with, however. There was also her instructor, Rock Lee. Granted, circumstances had limited their time together, but Hinata had been expecting something entirely different from Lee's coaching, something more in tune with their first day together. However, most of the time had been spent relaxing and talking and surprisingly, it had helped. His comments she took to heart, stopping herself whenever she slouched and trying to look more confident.

Hinata smiled but suddenly froze.

Naruto was standing there on the street, flanked by Sakura and Sai.

Hinata stared at the group for a second before instinctively hiding nearby, as she had done for so many years. She scolded herself for being so weak, though a part of her was mortified at the prospect of asking her crush out in front of his team, especially Sakura. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Sakura say, "I've got something to do, so I'll go on ahead. You guys report to Kakashi!"

"Yeah, we will!" Naruto grinned and gave Sakura a thumbs up. Smiling, she waved a hand in farewell and continued down the road as Sai and Naruto stared at her retreating form. When she was out of earshot, Sai turned to Naruto.

"Naruto..."

"Hmm?"  
"You like Sakura, don't you?"

From her hiding spot, Hinata suddenly went rigid as Naruto screamed "Wha!"

Sai continued. "I read it in a book...people always smile around the people they like, and you're always smiling at her." He paused. "Have you told her how you feel?"

Naruto stayed silent for a moment, eyes trained on Sakura's distant form.

And then his voice reached Hinata, filled with such pain, such regret, such longing, such sorrow that Hinata thought it tangible. "How can I? I can't even keep my promise to her..."

Hinata had heard enough. Turning, she quietly walked towards her home, head down.

* * *

"Konoha Senpuu!"

The kick came too fast and Kiba was forced to gag as he was sent flying into a tree. Akamaru let out a whine and bolted to his master's side as Lee wiped some sweat off of his forehead.

"Oww..."

"Are you hurt, Kiba-kun?"

"Just my pride," winced Kiba as he began to stand up. Akamaru nuzzled his master as Kiba wiped some blood from his forehead. A gash had opened up from the last attack and blood was slowly seeping down.

"I think we should call it a day," Lee advised while Kiba inspected the wound. Grumbling, Kiba reluctantly agreed. He was sore already and his mother had told him to be home in an hour anyway. Shino, who had been quietly spectating, moved forward.

"I will accompany you, Kiba. I was about to depart myself."

Kiba was about to reply when his nose picked up a familiar scent. "Hey, Hinata's on her way here!"

"I'm aware," Shino replied as Lee looked on in confusion. "Let us go."

"But I wanna hear about-"

"Kiba," Shino said suddenly. "Something has happened and I believe Lee-san is the one who should handle it."

Kiba scoffed. "I'm Hinata's best friend. If anything, I should be helping her with her problems!"

"I apologize, Shino-kun, but Kiba-kun has a point," Lee interjected. "If Hinata-san is-"

"You are her coach," Shino said in a dry voice. "If anything happened during your operation, you should take responsibility for it. We left Hinata under your care."

Lee looked down as Kiba growled. Akamaru, however, began to whine and rub against Kiba's leg. "You too?" Kiba asked, annoyed.

"Let's go, Kiba," Shino said quietly. Kiba glared but Akamaru's agreement with Shino's sentiments caused him to back down.

"Fine!" Kiba snapped and began to walk away quickly, Akamaru following. Shino bowed to Lee before taking off after his teammate.

Kiba had by now picked up speed and Akamaru was struggling to keep up. Shino struggled to prevent from rolling his eyes at Kiba's childishness and he followed him through the forest, jumping from branch to branch and hearing Akamaru whine at his master. Eventually, the Inuzuka slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Shino dropped down beside him and Kiba immediately started "Why the he-"

"He's not replacing you."

Kiba froze mid-sentence.

"You are still Hinata's best friend. Lee will not replace you," Shino repeated. "I'm sure if she was going to seek someone out, it would have been you."

The Inuzuka clenched his fist before allowing himself to relax. "I know..."

"Quite the understandable reaction. You are a territorial mutt after all."

With those words, Shino bolted. Kiba blinked as he watched his other best friend run away as fast as possible. Confused, he looked at Akamaru. "Did Shino just try to crack a joke?"

"ARF!"

Kiba looked back in the direction of the training ground and was half-tempted to change direction, but Shino's words rang in his mind. _'You'd better take care of her, Lee,' _Kiba thought before making his way home.

* * *

Rock Lee was known as a speed demon, a hard worker, an energetic and passionate man, but he had never been famous for his ability to comfort people. He had usually dealt with the ridicule and insults by boisterously claiming he would soon prove everyone wrong and had simply ignored his naysayers. As a result, he had rarely broken down and had rarely required the comfort of another person, making him completely unprepared for the task bestowed upon him. Lee watched with apprehension as Hinata walked into the training grounds with her head down and shoulders slouched, her posture indicating great sadness as she continued on her way without so much as acknowledging him. Bracing himself, he decided to handle the situation the only way he knew how: By being himself.

"Hinata-san!"

His loud, cheerful cry seemed to startle her out of her stupor and she stumbled slightly. Righting herself, she allowed her eyes to slowly connect with his and Lee couldn't help but frown as he saw the misery that they held. "Lee-san," she replied quietly.

"Come over here and join me for my post-training stretches," Lee said. It was not a request nor a demand, just a statement. Hinata seemed to hesitate for a moment before slowly ambling her way to Lee's side. Satisfied, Lee began his stretches.

As he continued to stretch, Lee was fully aware that Hinata had not followed up on his request. She simply stood there and continued to gaze at nothing as Lee went through his usual routine, stretching his sore muscles and reflecting on the spar. Lee was unperturbed as he had not expected her to actually do anything. She was upset and furthermore she was not wearing attire proper for training. The simple fact that she had not left was a relief to the young Chuunin.

Eventually, Lee finished his stretches and walked over to his bag, pulling out a spare blanket. He walked back to Hinata and positioned the blanket on the ground. "Let us sit so we can converse," he told her. She nodded without speaking and sat down on the blanket. Lee gave another internal sigh of relief and plopped down on the dirt beside her. For a few minutes there was nothing but silence. Finally, Lee decided to start off what was sure to be a painfully awkward conversation by saying, "You look wonderful today, Hinata-san."

"Thank you," Hinata replied quietly without looking at him. There was no emotion in her voice. Lee cursed inwardly and fished for another way to continue the conversation.

"Are those the clothes you purchased the day you hung with Ino-san?"

A nod.

Lee smiled. "Ino-san has always been fashionable. The clothes suit you well."

Silence.

Finally, Lee decided to stop beating around the bush. Subtlety had never been his style. "How did your meeting with Naruto-kun go?"

He made sure not to be directly looking at her but he saw her tense out of the corner of his eye and could guess that whatever had happened was not what any of them had hoped for. There was more silence and Lee tried not to be frustrated at his lack of progress. He sat there, Hinata at his side, and waited for some sort of response. A part of him wished to simply ask her again and again until he received an answer but a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Tenten told him it would be a mistake. So he opted to wait, admiring the rays of sunlight that managed to penetrate through the thick foliage and listening to the birds chirping. He quickly fell into a lull as the sounds of Nature surrounded him and he faintly heard a mumble from nearby.

"Excuse me?"

"I said that the meeting never happened," Hinata repeated. She continued to look at the ground, her answer mumbled.

"I see," Lee replied in a neutral tone, not a hint of curiosity, disappointment, or judgment present. It was an incredibly difficult task and Lee himself was surprised at how quiet he was being.

"I was on my way to see him when I saw him with Sakura-san and Sai-san," Hinata continued in a mumble. "And then Sai-san asked Naruto-kun if he liked Sakura-san and he does and she clearly won't go for anyone but him or Sas-" She stopped suddenly as her hands flew to her mouth, remembering that she was speaking to a man who had for so long been enthralled by the pink-haired kunoichi. "Lee-san, I'm so sorry! I-"

"Don't be," Lee replied. He squashed down the familiar feelings of rage, sadness, and disappointment that came whenever he came to the same heart-wrenching conclusion. This was not about him, but about Hinata. "Please. Continue."

Hinata sighed. She had not looked up from the ground yet. "I'd told everyone that if Naruto rejected me it wouldn't be a setback. That I wouldn't give up...but you didn't hear him. The pain in his voice, the longing. He _loves_ her, he really loves her a-and I- I..."

Hinata finally looked at him and Lee was startled and horrified to see that her eyes were swimming with tears.

"How can I compete with that, Lee-san?" Hinata cried before burying her face in her hands.

Lee stared, numb, unable to speak. He had absolutely no idea how to comfort a crying woman. His relationship with other females was strictly professional and the one time Tenten had cried in front of him, she did not go to him for such comfort. He racked his brains, trying to think of some sort of advice, anything that could guide him. All he could think about was that one moment with Tenten or their first C-Rank mission where they had to fight off some bandits. Tenten had killed a man, had been the first of the three of them to take that step into adulthood. When she had cried after the bandits were gone, having finally comprehended what she had done, her tears led to Neji's disgust and Lee's sympathy. Gai-sense, however, had wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and led her away from them so sensei and student could cover one of the most important lessons in a shinobi's life.

Unable to think of anything else, Lee hesitantly wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders. She tensed in surprise, causing Lee to think he had made a mistake, but she quickly leaned into him and buried her face in his chest, her body shaking with sobs.

This moment, Lee would later say, was the single most terrifying moment of his life. His battles with Neji, Gaara, and Kisame, his countless missions, none of them compared to having the heiress of the most powerful clan in Konoha sobbing uncontrollably as he held her. Forcing himself to calm down and think carefully about his next words, he waited as Hinata's sobs eventually.

"I do not think you have to compete," Lee said once Hinata had quieted. Hinata mumbled something into his chest before realizing the position they were in and pulling back, blushing furiously.

"Hinata-san, I thought your Nindo was to never give up."

Hinata looked at Lee. "Yes, but-"

"Then the answer is quite simple," Lee told her easily. "Keep pursuing Naruto-kun."

"But he loves her..."  
"Then make him fall in love with you," Lee said as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "Change his mind."

"I can't," Hinata told him. "He's too invested in Sakura-san, in his promise regarding Sasuke-kun and he's just in so much _pain_."

"Perhaps you can be the one to heal that pain," Lee said.

"How, if Sakura herself can't?" Hinata's fist clenched. "She's better than me in every single way. She's strong and I'm weak!"

"Hinata-san," Lee started with a frown, but Hinata cut him off.

"She's smarter than me and prettier than me and braver than me-"

"Hinata-san."

"And she's so much better. She has all of these real problems with the Akatsuki and Sasuke-kun and I'm sitting here crying because the boy I like likes somenone else..."

"Hinata-san!"  
"I'm pathetic!" Hinata continued, "You and Kiba-kun and Shino-kun have helped me so much. So have Tenten-chan and Neji-niisan! Yet here I am...still the same weak little girl I was before. Who could want me?"

"Hinat-"

"Who would want to spend time with me, love me, kiss a pathetic girl like me when they can have someone like Sakura-san or In-" Hinata was effectively cut-off by the feeling of Lee's lips pressed gently against her.

It was not her first kiss. Kiba had that honor. It had been a tough mission and Kurenai and Shino were both unconscious and in critical condition as the team hid in a cave and with no way out of enemy territory. Faced with death and desperation and loneliness, Hinata and Kiba had tried to find comfort in each other. The kiss had been rough and breath-taking and certainly enjoyable, but Hinata and Kiba had both realized that there was no spark, no romance behind it. The questions and lingering frustrations that had plagued their friendship had finally been answered and the two had realized that there were no feelings. While it had been awkward afterward, it had ultimately strengthened their friendship.

Lee's kiss was different than Kiba's had been. Kiba's had been rough as he coaxed her mouth open and her tongue met his. Lee's was much more innocent, a simple pressure on her lips. He was warm and his warmth seemed to transfer into her. It was nice, she decided. Not better or worse than Kiba's had been, but certainly different. However, the two kisses did share something in common. Or rather, they both lacked the same thing.

Lee pulled away, blushing furiously and Hinata felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "Um, Lee-kun."

"Sorry about that, Hinata-san," Lee stammered. "I was just proving a point to you about no one willing to kiss you."

"So you don't..?"  
"No," Lee affirmed.

"That's good," Hinata sighed in relief. She saw Lee relax and couldn't help but giggle. Soon Lee joined her and two laughed, unable to explain why. Hinata laughed until she was out of breath and gasping as she sat next to Lee and nature's sounds soothed her.

"Hinata-san," Lee said, "you cannot give up. Yes, Naruto-kun may love Sakura-san but that does not mean that it will always remain so. Sakura-san...she's hurting Naruto without realizing it."

Lee hated to speak badly of Sakura, but it was the truth.

"Do not give up. That is your nindo right?"

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again she was smiling at him. "You're right, Lee-kun. I'm not going to give up. I don't know what will happen. To be honest, I don't know why I reacted the way I did. But I'm not giving up on Naruto-kun!"

"Yosh! That's the spirit, Hinata-san!" Lee roared as he sprang up, flames in his eyes. "Just as I will not give up on Sakura-san, you cannot give up on Naruto-kun!" He pumped his fist and then his eyes widened comically in horror. "NOOOOOO! I've betrayed my love for Sakura by sharing my lips with another woman!"

Hinata giggled as Lee began proclaiming that he would do 1000 laps around Konoha to make up for it. Then she interrupted him gently. "Lee-kun?"

"Yes, Hinata-san?"

"Promise me you won't give up on Sakura-san and I promise you I will not give up on Naruto-kun," she said.

Lee stared at her for a moment before his face broke into a huge grin. He gave her a thumb-up, his signature Nice Guy Pose. "That's a promise!"

Hinata mimicked him. "That's a promise, Lee-kun. The pose is like this ri-"

"_**OOOOOOHH!**_" Lee's shout startled Hinata and caused her to squeak. "Such a perfect pose! Hinata-san I can feel the heat from your flames of youth! Together you and I shall both capture the hearts of our splendid friends and then we shall take them on a most glorious double date!"

Hinata just listened with a smile on her face as Lee ranted about the benefits of love and the power of youth. When he had finally calmed down, he bowed to her. "What?" she asked, confused.

"Hinata-san, I ask for your forgiveness. My earlier action of kissing you without your consent was much too bold and an invasion of your privacy. Please forgive me!"

"Stand up, Lee-kun," Hinata ordered softly. He did as asked and was surprised when Hinata wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He hesitated before returning the embrace and was completely caught off-guard when Hinata placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. She pulled back, blushing, and Lee grabbed his cheek in shock as he too felt himself grow red. "You're forgiven, Lee-kun."  
Lee's relief and gratitude were short-lived as he realized something Hinata had said. "Lee-_kun_?"

"Yes," Hinata said softly. "So just call me Hinata or Hinata-chan. No more san."

Lee nodded. "Right. Hinata."

"You're a good friend, Lee-kun. Now I'm going to find Kiba. He's probably anxious."

Lee laughed. "That he is."

"Thank you, Lee-kun. For everything." Hinata bowed. Then, before he could protest said action, she left the field.

Lee absentmindedly grabbed the cheek Hinata kissed as he began to make his own way home. That been both an informative and frightening discussion, he decided. Yet he couldn't help but feel proud at how far Hinata had come.

It had been a good experience for her but also for him, Lee realized. He had grown closer to the three members of Kurenai's team and had shared his first kiss with Hinata. Not Sakura, but Lee didn't feel terribly upset about it. Touching his cheek, he felt resolve well up and him as he decided to redouble his efforts in capturing Sakura's heart.

After all, he mused, Rock Lee never broke his promises.

* * *

The rain fell heavily and the lightning flashed across the sky as the group of eight stood by the entrance gate.

"We sure got stuck with lousy weather, huh?" Kakashi Hatake's airy voice rang out.

"Actually," Kiba said from his position against Akamaru, "it might help our resident hot-head cool off."

Naruto ignored him as he stared at the horizon. Hinata watched him quietly.

This was it. Their mission was to track down Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke and bring Sasuke back the village. Hinata saw Sakura and saw that she was just as tense as Naruto. Hinata was scared. Itachi and Sasuke were so far beyond her level...

But she steeled herself as she saw Naruto clench his fist. "Everyone, move out!"

She squashed down her fears. She would make sure this mission was a success. She would prove herself. And she would make him happy.

For Naruto, she would do anything.

With that, Hinata joined her comrades and they entered the raging storm.

* * *

A/N: I wrote this in one day...but Naruto finally has me inspired again. And now there's only one more chapter left and it should be relatively short one. So I can promise I'll have it by next month. Thanks again to those who have stuck with me and my irregular schedule.

And yes, I threw the LeeHina and KibaHina (like me!) shippers a bone. But no, they do not like each other. See ya soon!


	7. Always

Always

The stench of death and sickness permeated the area around base camp as Hinata made her way to the medical tent with Shino. The two remained quiet as they saw their allies running around, shouting orders. The groans of the injured and dying surrounded them but neither Hinata nor Shino allowed themselves to show any sign of discomfort as they finally arrived at the tent and found the two people they were seeking.

"Yo," Kiba said once they entered. He was kneeling on the ground by the bedridden form of Neji. Akamaru lay near them, whining softly as he tried to adjust to the sickening scents that surrounded them.

"Hinata-sama," Neji said and tried to get up but Hinata dropped to her knees and forced him back into a resting position.

"At ease, Neji-niisan. You need to rest," Hinata whispered.

"I don't need-"

"Oh shut up," Kiba said, rolling his eyes. "You were so out of it you were addressing Akamaru as if he was me."

Hinata let out a giggle as Neji blushed. Shino remained silent.

"So, is this really all of us?" Kiba asked quietly.

"Sakura-san is also here," Neji said.

"Still," Shino spoke up, "that means the rest of us are out there fighting."

A wave of unease traveled through the group as Shino's words took hold. Hinata looked at Neji and saw that behind his usual cool exterior there was a great deal of anxiety. She couldn't blame him. Neji's team was still out there. Of course he was worried about the rest of their group of friends but at least Hinata's team was complete and she knew for a fact that Naruto and Kurenai were safe. Neji, who had difficulty making bonds, considered Team Guy his family. The fact that he was the only one safe and sound must be eating away at him.

Kankuro. Temari. Gaara. Sai. Chouji. Shikamaru. Ino. Tenten. Lee. Her father.

The names rang through her head over and over again like a chant as she waited anxiously for some sort of news, praying that they were good news. She had already experienced too much death today...

"Sakura! Is that what I think it is?"

Kiba's cry alerted the rest of them to her arrival. In her hand she held a red scroll and Hinata's eyes widened as she saw it.

"Yeah," Sakura confirmed, sitting on the ground by them and slowly unfurling the scroll. "I haven't looked at it yet. It's a copy of Gaara-kun's troop update."

The group remained silent as Sakura scanned the scroll. Her eyes moved quickly from left to right as she read the names of the soldiers who had made it through the day and those who hadn't.

"How many casualties?" Kiba asked.

"Too many."

"Any of our clan members?"

"Yes, from all three clans."

The answers were short and monotone. Hinata closed her eyes and prayed for her fallen family members as Kiba's fists tightened and Shino adjusted his glasses. She looked down at the ground as Sakura continued to read the scroll. Finally, after what seemed to be hours but was in fact a only a few minutes, Sakura cleared her throat. She looked at them before a tired smile graced her face. "Gaara and Temari are alive and uninjured."

Hinata let out a sight of relief as Neji relaxed on his makeshift bed. Kiba, however, let out a sharp hiss. "Weren't Shikamaru and Chouji with them? They're not under the list of survivors?"

"Team 10 was called to General Darui's side," Shino reminded him. "We won't know their status until his update arrives."

The painful tightening in Hinata's chest relaxed at those words.

"I'm going to wait for more updates. I'll bring them whenever I receive a copy." With those words, Sakura got up and left them to join the troops outside.

"She's exhausted," Neji noted.

"She's a medic. They're probably running her ragged," Shino replied.

They were all trying to keep their minds off of their fallen clan members.

Hinata said nothing as her thoughts wandered to the rest of her friends, tuning out the developing conversation between Kiba, Neji, and Shino. She thought of Kankuro's snide comments and proud war paint, Sai's attempts at making friends, Chouji's hearty laugh after a meal, Shikamaru's bored expression, Ino's fiery temper, Tenten's confidence in her abilities and Lee's determination. She could picture each one of their faces and prayed that they were all okay.

Her thoughts then wandered to the reason they were fighting this war.

Naruto.

How was he? Was he still completely unaware that his friends were fighting to protect him, spilling blood and dying like trash? That many people he had known were becoming simple statistics as the death toll continued to rise?

Had he thought about her and her confession?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Sakura who had once again re-entered the tent with a new scroll. Everyone stared at her as she read the newest information, no one breathing. Sakura finished reading the scroll and her expression was unreadable.

"Kankuro's alive," she began. Everyone let out a sound of relief that was interrupted when she continued. "Half of Mitarashi Anko-san's squad is dead, including Aburame Muta-san." Shino said nothing but they could all see him stiffen. "Hinata, I think you and Neji will like to know that Hyuuga Tokuma is injured but alive."

"Who is left?" Kiba asked.

"Well, Kankuro is a squad leader but he's with Mifune now. Kitsuchi and Darui joined forces so I guess the only scrolls left are from them and Kakashi-sensei. So we have two scrolls left."

Kiba opened his mouth to respond when there was a cry of "We're losing her!"

Sakura shot up and moved to the side of the tent where the injured were being treated, obscured by a curtain. The rest of the group watched listened quietly to the desperate sounds of medics and the groans of the injured and dying that they had managed to tune out during their conversation.

After some time, Sakura emerged from the other side looking older than they'd ever seen her. "She's dead," she said, collapsing next to Hinata and looking at her own hands. "She was a Genin. She couldn't have been more than twelve. Oh my god, she couldn't have been more than twelve..."

No words were spoken as Sakura tried to collect herself. It did not take long, however. It was not her first time losing a patient nor would it be her last. Sakura made to stand up but Kiba pushed her back down. "Relax, Sakura. I'll go check for scrolls."

"You don't have clearance," Sakura told him. "I only receive copies because I'm part of the medic corps."

Kiba huffed in irritation but Hinata stood up. "I'm the next head of the clan if my father is missing. I'm sure I can pick up a copy of Darui's scroll at least since my father is under his command."

"That's a stretch," Kiba said.

"I'll go," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I'm not that fragile."

Leaving no room for argument, the pink-haired medic exited the tent.

Kiba turned to Shino. "I'm sorry man, I know you and Muta were close."

"It is to be expected. Why? Because this is war," was Shino's reply. Kiba frowned but Hinata noticed the slight tremble in Shino's hand as he spoke and she wordlessly grasped it and gave it a comforting squeeze. Kiba noticed and placed his hand on Shino's shoulder. Team Kurenai said nothing as they comforted each other in silence, each grieving over their losses. Then, Kiba turned to Neji.

"What are you doing? Get over here."

"I can't move," Neji deadpanned.

"Oh...yeah..."

Neji sighed as he stared at his hands. "What sickens me the most about this war is that some of the branch members who have died will have died happy. Happy that they escaped their curse. It should not be like that." The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable.

"It won't be," Hinata said in a determined voice.

"Because Naruto will change the Hyuuga?" Neji asked, his voice half hopeful and half-sarcastic.

"No, because I will."

Neji stared at her in astonishment before a small smile slowly made its way into his expression. "Then I shall stand by you until that day...Hinata-neesan."

Hinata's eyes widened and it took all of her willpower not to cry. It was the first time since Neji had gotten his seal that he had called her that. War did strange things to people, she supposed. All further thoughts were driven from her mind when Sakura once again entered the tent.

"Darui and Kitsuchi," was all she said before she began to read. The group waited with bated breath, Neji in particular as his eyes bore into Sakura.

She took a deep breath.

"They all made it. Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Tenten. Your father also made it Hinata."

Neji melted into his bed at the sound of Tenten's name and allowed himself a moment of joy as Hinata let out the breath she was holding before growing somber again. "That leaves Kakashi's squad."

"They were alive when I left," Sakura said, biting her lip.

"They'll be fine," Kiba said. "Sai's a former Root Anbu and Lee's just ridiculous. Guy is Lee on steroids and Kakashi is Kakashi. Really, there's nothing to worry about."

Sakura gave him a grateful smile and exited the tent once again. When she was gone, however, all of Kiba's confidence seemed to melt away as his expression of worry very nearly matched hers.

"Are you all talk, Inuzuka?" Neji asked with a smirk. He matched Kiba's glare with an amused gaze and settled himself comfortably. "I cannot speak for Sai and Kakashi but I know for a fact Lee and Guy won't go down. They're too stubborn."

Kiba couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped him. "You that part right at least."

Hinata, however, remained quiet. The possibility of Rock Lee dying terrified her to no end. She was amazed at how in such a short time she had grown so close to the eccentric shinobi. Her worry when it came to him matched that of her father, her family, and her team. To think that in a couple of months Lee would become one of her most precious people...

He was like Naruto, Hinata knew. Endless confidence, eternal optimism, fierce loyalty to his precious people, nearly unmatched kindness, the will to never give up. She admired and looked up to him the way she did to Naruto. He had become a pillar for her just as her team and her love had become. The thought of losing him was nigh unbearable and no words from Neji, Kiba, or Shino would calm her down until she knew he was okay.

The minutes seemed to stretch into hours. The members of the tent seemed to have fallen into some kind of trance. It was a good thing that they were all off-duty, Hinata noted as Kiba shifted and his head dropped on her shoulder. He snored slightly. Hinata could not tell if Shino and Neji had also fallen asleep. They were both quiet and Neji had his eyes closed but she couldn't be sure. And then Sakura came storming into the tent with a shout of "It's here!"

They were all snapped out of their stupor and stared at her intently as her hands shook and she unraveled the scroll. Hinata noticed the anxious look on Neji's face and realized that for all his bravado he was as worried as the rest of them. Sakura's eyes finished scanning the scroll and she collapsed on the floor in a heap. Hinata's heart lurched as she feared the worst until Sakura let out a choked laugh. "They all made it. _We_ all made it."

Hinata's eyes became clouded as she finally let her tears flow freely. They had all made it. Every single one of them had made it through the first day. It was almost too good to be true. All chance of rejoicing, however, were interrupted as Tsunade's voice barked through the tent. "Sakura!"

"Yes, master?" Sakura said as she stood up and bowed.

"Your idiot of a teammate found out about the war and busted out. The Raikage and I are going to stop them and Shizune's nearly at her end. I'm sorry but you're on double duty tonight."

"Understood!"

When Tsunade was gone, however, Sakura let out a moan of distress. "He knows and he's coming. Oh god."

"Knew the idiot wouldn't stay out of it for long," Kiba said with a grin.

"Are you not worried?"  
"Course not," Kiba said. "It's Naruto!"  
"That is true," Neji added. "No one is taking him down. I do imagine he'll be mad at all of us for keeping this from him though."

"Naruto will be just fine," Shino said quietly.

Sakura stared at all of them before a small smile broke her angry demeanor. "You guys are right. After all, he's the number one unpredictable knuckleheaded ninja."

Hinata giggled and said "And all we can do is stand beside him and support him."

"Fuck that," Kiba huffed. "I ain't standing and morally supporting. I'll be right next to him kicking ass."

"Her comment goes both ways," Shino said with an air of impatience. "You really are an idiot."  
"Hey!"

"Arf!"

Hinata watched her teammate's antics in adoration before her eyes caught those of Neji and Sakura. The three shared a smile before Sakura departed and Neji finally succumbed to his exhaustion and drifted off.

Yes, she believed in Naruto.

_'Because...I love you.'_

She believed in him just as she believed in all of her friends. She loved him as she loved all of her friends. And she was in love with him the way she had never been in love with someone before. She knew the risks of his arrival, knew the risks of him going into battle but she knew that he would never let his precious people down. He was Naruto.

And she would stand by his side and wait for him. She would continue to love him. Even if on the second day she died, she'd continue to love him. Always.

Hinata stared at her friends, at her family, thought of the ones not present.

She couldn't live without them. She couldn't live without Tenten and Kankuro arguing over whether the puppet master's face was covered in war paint or make-up as Temari stood nearby laughing and Gaara's lips twitched in amusement. She couldn't live without Sakura trying to strangle Sai after he made one of his comments. She couldn't imagine a day where she would be walking the village and didn't see Ino dragging off an exasperated Shikamaru and a smiling Chouji around the shopping district before she joined her team for practice where Kurenai-sensei would hold her newborn son and Akamaru would whine after Kiba and Shino got into another argument and she tried to stop it. The thought of the two green blurs running around the village shouting proclamations of youth or of the masked pervert reading his little book being absent was unfathomable. Her nights always had to end with a table in which Hanabi would try to upset Neji and he would play her little game as her father rubbed his forehead and Hinata giggled. There was no other way.

And the pain of a life where an orange-clad ninja wouldn't climb rooftops and scream he'd be Hokage as he gave everyone a sunny grin and pierced them with his blue eyes was almost too much to contemplate. A life without her friends, without Naruto, it was something she wouldn't survive.

She knew ninja were not supposed to be so emotional but at the moment she didn't give a damn. She hadn't noticed that her thoughts had let her to quiet sobs and that Akamaru was nuzzling her and Kiba was hugging her and Shino had a hand on her arm and Neji was struggling to make his way over to her to offer her comforting words and they did not question her when she wrapped her arms around all of them and hugged them as though her life depended on it.

She would survive. They all would. And they would all be together. She would make sure of it.

Always.

* * *

A/N: Finally! Finally! I am done. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reviewed, added this to their Favorites and/or Story Alerts, and everyone who read this. Special thanks to those who stuck with me from the very beginning and dealt with my petty updating schedule. I don't deserve it.

I think I'll take a small break from Naruto fanfiction now. I have a couple of fics for other series planned that I want to focus on. I am, however, already cooking up a couple of ideas for my next journey into Naruto. =]

Thanks once again and please leave a review telling me how you felt. Be honest. Constructive criticism can only help me get better.

Until next time.


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